Heart of the Scarecrow
by ficklepsyche
Summary: Kakashi is given a new mission - find a legendary weapon that will end all wars. What he finds isn't what anyone was expecting. The path he follows leads him to the unexpected dark pasts of those most dear to him. Story begins after the death of Danzo but before the Fourth Shinobi World War.
1. Chapter 1

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 1

While the destruction of Konohagakure was almost entire, the cavernous underbelly of Root beneath the village remained mostly intact. The winding tunnels led beneath the mountain, countless secret passageways and exits opened into the lush forests beyond the village walls, and no Root member knew every single one.

Root's primary concern was stabilizing the structure that once held up the village. Although the network of tunnels remained, there was no guarantee that the walls would not collapse once new buildings were constructed above them. Sai's task, therefore, was to assess any damage and determine where any weaknesses might be. Yamato-taichou was expected to join him within the hour to assist with reinforcing any loss of integrity to the tunnels.

Though they had been officially disbanded long ago, Root had been not-so-secretly still performing missions. The loss of Danzo-sama was a critical blow to Root, and their future was on shakier foundation than the village at the moment, but the members held out hope someone would step forward and don the mantle of 'leader'—namely Hatake Kakashi. Being a former ANBU as well as being chosen as Hokage before Tsunade-sama regained consciousness, he was their first choice.

Sai was certain Kakashi-sensei would avoid such a task, but he was reluctant to admit it to the other members for fear of being regarded as someone who spoke badly of a superior. Danzo-sama was a man to be feared and respected, and while the same could be said of Kakashi-sensei, it would be for entirely different reasons. Sai doubted Kakashi-sensei would be willing to lead Root down the same path—or have the members carry out the same manner of missions—that Danzo-sama had.

Root was most likely finished, and Sai was unsure if he cared or not. Being in Root was all he had known for years, so it was familiar to him. Yet, being with Naruto and Sakura, learning from Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-taichou, and having the opportunity to make friends among other ninja his age had all become surprisingly welcome factors in his life. He did not want to resign back to the shadows of Root.

All around him, Sai could hear the squeaks and growls of the various ink animals he had set to task amid the darkened tunnels. Beside him walked three baby elephants carrying lanterns in their trunks to light his way. One of them strayed from the group and began to head down an unfamiliar corridor.

"Did you find something?" Sai followed the black and white beast through a large, crumbling hole into a dusty chamber full of cobwebs and aging shelves that bore the weight of rotted books and tattered scrolls. What was left of the door lay at his feet. The light danced across the spines and rods, and a reflection against copper plating caught his eye. On the fourth shelf up, tucked beneath an unrolled scroll, sat a small wooden chest adorned in intricate designs. Sai's love of art and innate curiosity compelled him to pull it down for inspection.

There was a large eye carved into the front of the box and a locking mechanism unlike anything he'd ever seen. On the curving lid of the chest was the unmistakable symbolism of Otsutsuki Hagoromo, the Sage of the Six Paths. Unable to open it, Sai considered returning it to the shelf and continuing on with his task. He was not there to plunder old storage rooms, after all.

"What have you got there, Sai?"

Slightly startled, Sai blurted, "Yamato-taichou!" as he spun around to face the older man. He glanced down at the chest. "I am unsure. It seems to be a very old box with the Rikudō Sennin's markings on it. I was contemplating whether or not I should return it to the shelf or have it investigated further by someone who can determine whether or not it is of significance."

Yamato-taichou studied the item in Sai's hands. "Well, being that it has been down here all this time, I doubt it's important. It's most likely just an old—"

"Tenzo?" The voice reverberated down the corridor from the shadows beyond the ink, lantern-toting elephants. Kakashi-sensei stepped into the light a few seconds later. "I thought I heard you. Tsunade-sama wanted to know about the stability of the tunnels beneath the base of the mountain. Have you had much luck reinforcing the walls?"

Yamato-taichou sighed and bent his head. "I've told you repeatedly to stop calling me that, Kakashi-senpai. You know I am 'Yamato' now."

Sai had witnessed this exchange between the two men before. He believed Kakashi-sensei was being deliberately forgetful in order to irritate Yamato-taichou, but he could not figure out why. Kakashi-sensei was a patient and understanding man, one whom Sai trusted implicitly, and he often seemed as though he would prefer to avoid conflict rather than fight, though he never backed down when a fight was necessary. Thus, the intentional goading of Yamato-taichou was—to Sai—a conflict in Kakashi-sensei's personality that Sai was yet to fully understand. He only witnessed Kakashi-sensei do this with Yamato-taichou, so either he did not like him or he was teasing as a way to show affection.

As for Yamato-taichou, Sai felt he understood him a little, as well as his desire to be addressed by his new name. Sai was certain the captain had a similar existence to his own. They were both orphans taken in by Root. The captain had been experimented on physically by Orochimaru-sama while Sai had been psychologically conditioned. Both of them had lost their real names long ago. Sai wished to continue to be Sai, and he understood why Yamato-taichou would prefer his new name over his old one. The things Sai did when he used other names were things he was not proud of now. At the time, he had no idea what the sense of pride was, but now he understood what regret was. Sai was sure it was a selfish emotion, but being selfish was also something new for him to understand.

To thwart any further discussion about names that made Yamato-taichou uncomfortable, Sai lifted the box for Kakashi-sensei to view. "I found this old chest in this chamber. We were deciding what to do with it, if anything."

Kakashi-sensei regarded it with the same disinterest he showed most things at first, then flinched and put the palm of his hand against his low-hanging headband that covered his left eye.

"Kakashi-senpai, are you all right?" asked Yamato-taichou.

"Yeah, just some dirt or something…" Kakashi-sensei rubbed at his headband and then lifted it out of the way to attend to his Sharingan eye. When he dropped his hand and opened his eye, Sai could see the black tomoe shifting in the red iris. Kakashi-sensei's gaze was fixed on the box, but he seemed lost in thought.

Sai was about to inquire of his sensei when the lid to the chest popped open. All three men took a step back, though Sai did not let go of the box. They stood speechless at first, but then Kakashi-sensei said, "Sai, close the box," to which Sai complied.

Kakashi-sensei's gaze was concentrated again on the box, and once more it popped open, the complicated locking mechanism components simply parting to reveal the contents inside. Kakashi-sensei stepped forward and reached into the box. His hand immediately snapped back when it struck a barrier that crackled on contact. He frowned at it for a moment, then pulled his headband back down over his left eye and held out his hands to Sai. "Close it again and hand it to me. I'll take it up for the Intelligence Division to look at, if they have a chance. They've got their hands full at the moment, just like everyone else."

Obedient to a fault, Sai again complied without question. When Yamato-taichou suggested they get back to work, Sai followed the older man down the corridor, glancing back at Kakashi-sensei as the other man headed into the darkness. He was running his fingertips along the carved eye on the front of the box, a frown still etched on his profile.

O0O

Two days later, Kakashi stepped into Tsunade-sama's tent/office to see Sai and Hyuga Hinata standing in front of the Hokage's desk. When Tsunade-sama saw Kakashi, she waved him to step closer. He did so after closing the flap of the door.

"Kakashi, I have a new mission for you," she said. "You will lead Hinata and Sai to the outskirts of Amegakure to find out if the materials discovered the other day have any validity." She gestured towards the small wooden chest he had brought the Intelligence Division that now lay at the corner of her desk. It was again closed.

"What were they able to learn?" Kakashi asked. He had tried several times to get past the barrier before submitting it to the Intelligence Division, to no avail. All he got for his troubles were a couple of singed fingertips. He advised them of his efforts when he left it with them.

Tsunade-sama pushed the box towards Kakashi. "Open it."

Kakashi was confused for a mere moment, then pushed his headband up and gazed at the chest with his Sharingan. It popped open. He was not surprised, but he did not understand. He never needed to activate his Sharingan, he used no willpower to do it. The chest seemed to merely react to the presence of his gift from Obito.

"Can you access the contents?" Tsunade-sama asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Kakashi rubbed his thumb against his tender digits that had not yet fully healed. "I'm afraid not. Could the Intelligence Division?"

"Yes. Hinata, remove the top scroll."

Hinata glanced nervously at Tsunade-sama then to Kakashi. "Hai." Her hand slid into the box with no effort, and she extracted the scroll. She placed it atop the desk and took a step back.

With indifference in his voice but curiosity welling up inside, Kakashi said, "It reacts to dojutsu." It wasn't a question. It was an observation of the obvious, at least to him.

"Yes and no," Tsunada-sama replied, unrolling the scroll. "It reacts to the existence of dojutsu _users_, but they need not use their dojutsu. And it is limited to the dojutsu kekkei genkai users. We've had other kekkei genkai users attempt to open the box, but it doesn't yield."

Kakashi was tempted to offer up that the carving of an eye on the box should have been a big clue in that regard, but he decided to keep that comment to himself. He was more concerned about this mission headed to the birthplace of the man who had so thoroughly destroyed Konohagakure. "So, what are we looking for in Amegakure?"

Tsunade-sama put her glasses on as she began to shuffle through other papers on her desk. Kakashi recognized the behavior well, a habit the Hokage had when she didn't want to admit she didn't know a lot about something. "The text is extremely old and therefore written in a very old dialect. We've had some trouble understanding precisely what you're looking for. But inside is a map, so that should be of use to you. Byakugan users in the Intelligence Division were able to read it, so I assume Hinata can as well. We have only you with the Sharingan, so we weren't able to confirm if you can read the materials. You are welcome to try."

"A map? Well, that's a start, I suppose." He glanced at Hinata and tilted his head towards the chest. When she reached into the box to remove the other scrolls inside, Kakashi reached forward and grabbed the one on the desk. He unfurled it and, after a brief pause, he was able to see shapes and symbols appear, but some were incomplete. He nodded his head and rolled it back up, tucking it into his pocket. He returned his gaze to Tsunade-sama. "If you have no idea what it is, then why are we going after it?"

"It isn't that we have _no_ idea, Kakashi." Tsunade-sama tapped her stack of papers on the desk to straighten them. "It suggests there is a weapon that will end all wars. There are references to the Rikudo Sennin having sealed it away after he defeated the Ten-Tails. We don't know if it's accurate or merely a legend, but with us mobilizing for war with Uchiha Madara, it doesn't seem such a bad idea to at least check it out."

"I see." Kakashi pulled his headband back down. "And does anyone in Amegakure expect us? Naruto had said the woman from the Akatsuki was now our ally. Plus there is the promise to the other nations to not keep any intel from them."

"This may turn out to be nothing," Tsunade-sama replied. "There's no reason to announce to the other Kage that we are chasing legends and old maps. They'd probably laugh at us for following childish fantasies. Especially the Raikage. As for Amegakure being an ally, they are not part of the Shinobi Alliance and therefore we have no agreement with them to be entirely forthcoming. If anything does come of it, we will inform the other Kage immediately."

"Dojutsu users, hm?" Kakashi said to himself. "It seems fortunate that the information was discovered in Konohagakure since we are the village where those users exist for the most part." _Never minding other villages that have stolen it over the years_, he thought. "The tablets left behind by the Rikudō Sennin were handed down to the Uchiha clan, according to legend. I am surprised that Root had these scrolls and not, say, the Hyuga Clan."

"Perhaps they did at one point," the Hokage pointed out. "There have been Hyuga Clan members in Root over the years."

"And since it takes both Sharingan and Byakugan to retrieve and read the materials, it suggests it was anticipated for there to be a partnership of dojutsu users. I wonder if the Rinnegan alone would have been enough for one person to find this 'weapon' themselves." Kakashi was musing to himself again, thinking aloud as he was wont to do. Tsunade-sama seemed to understand that and did not reply.

"Your mission is to investigate and retrieve the weapon, if possible and if it even exists," the Hokage said. "If it cannot be retrieved, attempts to destroy it should be made in order to keep it out of the hands of the Akatsuki."

"Hai." Kakashi turned and headed out of the room. "Hinata, Sai—let's go."

O0O

Author's note: I haven't written any fanfiction in years, so be gentle. I've just had this story in my head for weeks and needed to write it out. More chapters to come.


	2. Chapter 2

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 2

They had travelled for hours, jumping through the trees that so often became a blur of green against azure sky, especially when travelling with silent companions. Sai would glance at Hinata-san on occasion, but always her gaze was forward, using her Byakugan to search for any traps or unwanted company. All Sai ever saw of Kakashi-sensei was his back, a good distance in front of them. Sai's job was to deploy his ink animals to watch their rear flank as they travelled further from home.

Home—that was also a new word for Sai. It was a word that had always been in his vocabulary, but it never had any meaning to him. Konohagakure was the village he had always protected, Root was the organization that he served, but neither had given him a sense of belonging. His loyalty had always been programmed into him, something that was a given, but with no sense of pride behind it nor a sense of honor. It was simply his duty. Now, it was the place his friends lived, it was the place where he began to feel he belonged.

The sky was a splash of orange against rich purple when Kakashi-sensei halted on a thick branch. "We'll set up camp for the night here. Sai, you start a fire. I'll take first watch." Without waiting for a reply, Kakashi-sensei disappeared into the foliage.

"I'll help find some wood," Hinata-san offered with a small smile before being engulfed by the shadows she stepped into.

Sai dispersed some ink creatures into the woods, then gathered up some stones to place in a circle to keep the fire at bay. When Hinata-san returned with the wood, Sai lit the fire while she sat cross-legged and withdrew a water bottle. It was a comfortable silence between them. Sai had never known uncomfortable ones until he joined Team Kakashi. Relating to Sakura and Naruto could be difficult at times, and he always felt like he was doing something wrong. Hinata-san, however, did not spur any doubts in him.

"We should be in Amegakure by tomorrow evening at the pace we are going," Sai offered, to which Hinata-san simply nodded in reply.

"Are you hungry?" Sai asked. "I could make us a meal."

Hinata-san smiled and shook her head.

The comfortable silence was gone. Sai had rarely had an opportunity to speak with Hinata-san as he spent most of his time with Team Kakashi. He had thought this would be an opportunity to get to know one another, but she didn't seem to want to take it. Slightly disappointed, Sai asked bluntly, "Have I done something to offend you?"

After she shook her head, Hinata-san said, "I… I heard you like to give people nicknames, and I don't really want one. I th-thought maybe if I was quiet, you wouldn't think of one for me." She again gave Sai a smile, then dropped her gaze.

"I won't if you don't want one," Sai replied flatly. In truth, he had not even bothered to attempt to think of one. He supposed he might have thought of one eventually, but now he wouldn't even try. He sat down across the fire from her. "May I ask a question, though?"

"Y-yes. I guess so."

"I read that when a girl confesses to a boy, he is supposed to give her some kind of answer so that she knows if he reciprocates any affection…" Sai paused and began to reconsider what he was going to ask, as Hinata-san's cheeks reddened and her head dipped further towards her chest. However, since she had given him permission to ask a question, he continued. "And I heard that you confessed to Naruto. I was wondering if he has replied to you yet."

She shook her head.

"If he doesn't respond, does that mean that he—"

"It doesn't matter." Hinata-san said softly. She lifted her head and met Sai's gaze. "It doesn't matter. That's… not the point. I told him, and now he knows. That's all that matters."

Sai contemplated that for a moment, but didn't understand. Why was it important for Naruto to know something like that? If he didn't feel the same way, then it was for nothing. If anything, Sai would assume it would make it awkward for the two of them to speak to each other again. Especially since Sai was certain that Naruto loved Sakura. However misplaced that might be.

The fire crackled in the pit as the amber light danced across Hinata-san's flawless skin, reflected against her pale eyes. They were hazy through the smoke and rising heat waves, but Sai could still recognize her aesthetically pleasing features. Because he was an artist, he decided, he was able to ascertain if a female was beautiful or not. Hinata-san was…pleasing to the eye. Sakura and Ino-san seemed to find being attractive the most important quality in a girl, but Sai would have to disagree. He would also have to say that he found neither one of them pleasing, but he had definitely learned to keep that to himself. He should probably not mention his perceptions of Hinata-san in front of either one of them as well. It was dangerous to have an opinion around them.

"May I ask another question?" Sai asked. Hinata-san hesitated, but then nodded.

"Why should he know how you feel?"

Hinata-san worried her fingers in her lap, a crinkle forming in her brow. "It's important to know how others feel about you. Naruto-kun's life hasn't been… easy. He has been lonely. But he sought to be better, was determined to be better—a better ninja, a better friend. He wanted to be acknowledged. He wanted to be strong. Necessary in some way. It's important for him to know someone loves him, to know he is acknowledged, that he is needed. He doesn't have to feel the same about me. I will feel this way no matter how he feels about me. Being loved by someone makes you stronger, and I've helped him, at least a little bit, get more of the strength that he wishes. I would do anything for Naruto-kun. Telling him I love him was a simple thing compared to what I'd be willing to do."

"Like die for him." Sai stated. He knew it was true, so there was no reason to ask. She had almost died when she confronted Pain.

He poked at the fire with a stick. Hot ashes floated up into the night. "Naruto almost destroyed the village completely when he turned into the Kyuubi. He did that because he thought he'd lost you. I have seen him transform before, seen him rampage against Orochimaru because of Sasuke-kun. When I compare the level of loss of control he exhibited then to the battle with Pain because of you, it seems clear that he cares a great deal about you. Maybe more than you realize. Maybe even more than he realizes."

Hinata-san shrugged and gave him another small, shy smile. "Then maybe I have helped him grow stronger, after all."

Strength seemed to be important to Hinata-san. Perhaps because it was important to Naruto. Personally, Sai knew there was much more to being a good ninja than simply strength, but he felt Hinata-san lacked those qualities. Not to her discredit. She was too kind to do the things that Sai had done countless times in his duties. When he thought of her doing those sorts of things, he felt an uncomfortable sensation in his gut.

"I think you are strong, too," Sai offered. "When everyone else ran away, you ran towards danger. No one else stood between Naruto and Pain that day, not down there in crater. While it could be called suicide or idiocy, I think some would call it bravery. I would."

Dark hair swayed back and forth softly. "It was… cowardice," Hinata-san whispered. "I knew I could not win. I knew I would die. I would rather die with Naruto-kun than live on without him—live on while knowing I was powerless to help him. Knowing I still wasn't strong enough."

Sai didn't know what to say to that. He hadn't been there that day. All he knew was what other people had told him, and no one had mentioned anything about Hinata-san being a coward. Even after her claiming she was, he didn't see it that way. He'd read in a book that people could be hard on themselves when they had no self-confidence. Perhaps that was what she was doing now.

"No one was strong enough. That makes you no different from anyone else. Even Kakashi-sensei died when he fought Pain. I would have as well, had I been there." Sai was tempted to add that he was stronger than Hinata-san, but decided that probably wouldn't help build her confidence. If they were going to be friends, he shouldn't say unnecessary negative things.

And he found that he really did want to be her friend. More so than Naruto's other friends. Hinata-san was… interesting.

They were both silent for a long moment, then Hinata-san said, "I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, Sai-san," as she stretched out on the ground on her side, facing the fire. She closed her eyes.

Sai followed suit, facing the fire as well. "Goodnight, Hinata-san." He didn't close his eyes. Instead, he studied the girl across from him. Was she going to dream of Naruto? A frown graced his features briefly at the thought. Sakura loved Sasuke-kun, Naruto loved Sakura, Hinata-san loved Naruto. This emotion called love was confusing. It also seemed merciless.

"May I ask another question?" He whispered in case she was asleep.

Her eyes opened, but she said nothing. Sai decided to ask.

"Why did you tell me all of that?"

"I don't know." Hinata-san closed her eyes again. "Because you asked. No one else… did."

O0O

Kakashi sighed and leaned back against the tree. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop on the teenagers, but he had settled atop a branch that wasn't too far to hear their conversation. He was somewhat glad he'd never had the troubles his pupils had in regards to the opposite sex. Then again, Rin had feelings for him, but Obito had loved her. For his part, she had never been more than a teammate to him—a friend. He could never see her as anything other than the girl his friend had loved, so reciprocating any of the feelings Rin had for him was out of the question.

After her death, he threw himself into work. He joined the ANBU, a job that practically guaranteed being alone. It was too dangerous to get involved with others, too dangerous for them. It was always about the mission. Having attachments threatened the mission, threatened his ability to protect the village and his comrades. What he did was for the love of his home, and he'd decided long ago that was all the motivation he would ever need. He would leave the family-making to the villagers.

Sometimes, late at night as he stared at the moon-cast shadows on the ceiling after reading another book about how men and women usually behaved with each other, he would admit to himself it was more than that. He didn't want to lose anyone else. His mother had gone first when he was so young, too young to remember her face now. Then his father, then Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei, Hayate, Hiruzen-sensei, and now Asuma and Jiraiya-sama as well. His family, friends, mentors—all gone.

He hated to admit it, but Sasuke was as good as dead to him now. Naruto held out hope of him returning, but Kakashi had seen the madness of Sasuke. The darkness had completely consumed him. All Kakashi could do now was offer his guidance to those who remained on his team. Them and Gai. Thank the gods for Gai. There was no one that Kakashi relied on more, no one he trusted as he trusted Gai. True, his friend was eccentric to say the least, but his fine qualities far outweighed his personality differences.

Kakashi wished he could say the same for Tenzō, that he had that same unwavering trust. Most of the time he did, but always there was _that_ reason for doubt. Though he tried to ignore it, a niggling voice would whisper in his mind, one that reminded him of how he'd failed the young man when he'd been most needed. Tenzō never gave him a reason, in word or action, to be wary of him. Perhaps it was just Kakashi's own guilt of what happened...

Now, he had one more under his wing. Sai had come a long way since he first joined the team. He would never say as much to Sai, but the death of Danzo was a good thing for the boy. Tenzō had told him about Sai's Bingo Book. He had tracked down and eliminated dozens of missing-nin or potential security threats during his time with Root. The boy was, without a doubt, a strong and capable ninja. However, Kakashi had no doubt that if Danzo had not taken in the boy as an orphan, Sai would never have become a ninja. He had been conditioned to be an efficient killer, but his true nature was one of patience, gentleness, remarkable intelligence, and reverence for things that were beautiful. He wanted to regain his emotions and understand people and how they interacted with each other. Kakashi wondered what would happen to the boy when he did finally regain what he'd lost of his humanity.

O0O

Author's note: I know, it seems more like a Sai story than a Kakashi story at this point. It just sort of happened. But it's going to become way more about Kakashi very soon. This is important set-up stuff that comes into play later.


	3. Chapter 3

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 3

The following morning, the deployed team did something Sai had never done before—they removed all evidence of what village they were from and donned civilian clothing. For Hinata-san, she simply had to remove her forehead protector and put on a pair of sunglasses. However, Kakashi-sensei and Sai also had to remove everything that indicated Root or jōnin status, which meant Sai had to abandon his short, black jacket with red straps and instead wore a long-sleeved casual outfit he dressed in when he was not on duty.

Kakashi-sensei had to remove his shirt, plated gloves, and flak jacket. It was the first time Sai had ever seen his ANBU tattoo. It was also the first time he had ever seen his face, albeit briefly before the older man put on an eye patch and wrapped bandages to obscure his features below the bridge of his nose. He did not change his pants, but slipped into a long-sleeved black shirt with a high collar similar to Sai's. Kakashi-sensei's features were not what Sai had expected, as he'd assumed there were probably scars or some manner of disfigurement for which he was ashamed. However, his sensei's features were tolerable, albeit more youthful than he'd imagined. Perhaps the mask served to protect his skin from sun damage. Sai didn't feel it was important enough to inquire about.

When Sai and Kakashi-sensei stepped out of the brush and rejoined Hinata-san, Sai was slightly surprised Hinata-san had changed into attire similar to Neji-san's; an ivory shirt with long sleeves and a blue sash tied at her waist. They stowed their removed items in a large hole in a tree, and then continued with their mission. Instead of jumping from branch to branch, they strolled casually along the forest floor as if they were mere travelers. Kakashi-sensei wanted to avoid any confrontations, but if any were to occur, they were not to be revealed as shinobi from Konohagakure.

By noon, the sky had filled with ominous clouds, and within the hour, the first clap of thunder reverberated through the trees. It occurred to Sai that making them ink umbrellas would have been the first order of business for him, but using his jutsu would be evidence that they were not ordinary travelers.

For another two hours, they trudged through the mud and tall, wet grass until they reached a small mountain range that overlooked Amegakure. Kakashi-sensei soon found a cave and they took shelter from the rain and chilly breeze that accompanied it.

"According to the map," Kakashi-sensei said, his back uncharacteristically facing the cave entrance, "we should be about two miles from our destination. We can rest here for a bit and see if the weather lets up."

Sai knew his sensei was being vague on purpose as they didn't know if the white Zetsu Akatsuki was listening in. From what they'd witnessed, he could move in and out of trees, floors, and the ground without any warning. Much like Yamato-taichou. In case Zetsu were to emerge behind Kakashi-sensei, Sai stepped closer to the cave entrance and scanned the nearby area for any signs of being followed by people who _couldn't_ suddenly materialize.

"My jutsu works less well in the rain," Sai offered to Kakashi-sensei, "but I do not detect anyone nearby."

"I do not sense any other chakra nearby, either," Hinata-san added.

When Sai spun around to give her an appreciative smile, his eyes involuntarily dropped to her drenched, ivory shirt. He could see the outline of shadow beneath her breasts, and the effect the damp chill had on her nipples was too obvious to ignore.

He felt a nudge against his arm and looked up at Kakashi-sensei. The older man was frowning at him and shook his head. Sai felt a blush creep into his cheeks and turned to look out the cave again until it passed. He didn't know if he was more embarrassed of being lecherous or being caught. He knew other males his age would have had the same reaction to such a view, so he told himself it was a perfectly normal reaction. But it was a reaction he'd never had before.

Sai withdrew his scroll and pen and brought a furry, snaking dragon to life. It immediately coiled around a startled Hinata-san and nuzzled its face into her neck. "To warm you up," he offered without looking directly at her and risking another moment of disrespectful ogling.

Hinata-san sat down on a large rock and said, "Thank you, Sai-san."

With a shrug, Sai put his scroll and pen away and crouched down, leaning against the cave wall as he watched the rain. His chest felt strange, like there was a pressure pushing against the inside of his ribcage. Perhaps the rain was making him ill.

O0O

Kakashi took a seat next to Hinata, turned slightly away so he would not accidentally do the same thing Sai had done. He would never do it intentionally, especially since Hinata was so much younger than him, but he was also aware he was male and… some things happened involuntarily when you're male.

He pulled the map from inside his pocket with the intention of double-checking what he'd memorized earlier, but he hesitated and left it rolled in his hand. Instead, his gaze drifted to the young man positioned at the mouth of the cave. Kakashi wondered many things about him, but he had no idea how to go about asking him. Not only that, but it was really none of his business.

It was just that… the boy was always full of surprises. Kakashi would have sworn just yesterday Sai had no real interest in females, only in how the opposite sex behave towards one another, as if it were a thing to study and not actually participate in. Yet, his conversation with Hinata the night before could be viewed in a different light now that Kakashi had witnessed him admiring her… attributes. Before, he had seemed interested merely as a friend in regards to Hinata's feelings for Naruto. But perhaps the boy was up to something else entirely. Well, he hoped not. There was enough unrequited love in Konohagakure already, and Sai would be better off not giving Hinata a second thought. In Kakashi's opinion, Sai would be better served learning how to relate to his male peers well before attempting to understand females. Kakashi didn't know a single man who did.

Returning his thoughts to the map, Kakashi ran his hand through his dripping hair in an attempt to push it back from his face, then unfurled the map and flipped up his eye patch. He was right—the location was about two miles from their current position. He didn't know what to expect as the map wasn't very specific. Parts of it even seemed to be missing, but he was going with his best guess, which usually wasn't too far off the mark.

"K-kakashi-sensei?" Hinata asked from behind him.

He turned his head to see her looking over his left shoulder. "Mm?" he replied with his usual indifference.

"I was wondering… why we can't just go through the caves?" she said, gesturing towards the map in his hands. "There's less chance of being spotted, and it would provide shelter from the storm."

Kakashi had already returned his gaze to the map, trying to discern what she was referring to. The forest was clearly marked, as was the mountain range and the valley in which Amegakure was now built. "Show me," he stated, lifting the map higher for her to reach.

Hinata got onto her knees and placed a hand atop his right shoulder while she stretched over his left. The ink dragon Sai had given her adjusted itself and peered over Kakashi's right shoulder as if it, too, was interested in the conversation. "It's right here, in red. The caves are twisting through the mountains, but they end at this mark."

The mark Kakashi could see, but not the red path. The path he was following was in blue and went around the mountain's slopes. It truly did take both the Sharingan and the Byakugan to read the materials. "I can't see that path, Hinata. Maybe I should give you the map so you can guide us, huh?" he asked with a smile—one that vanished abruptly when he glanced at Sai and saw the expression on the young man's face. Apparently, Sai was not pleased with how Hinata had positioned herself. Kakashi would bet everything he owned that Sai had no idea how discombobulated he looked at that moment._ Ho, boy._

As Kakashi stood, so did Sai, his expression reverting to his usual placid countenance. Kakashi flipped his eye patch back down, then rolled the map up and held it out for Hinata to take as she, too, stood. The ink dragon slid down onto the cave floor and slithered up one wall, becoming ink graffiti against limestone. Hinata glanced around, then gestured towards the darkness beyond the meager light. The men followed her.

Their formation was silently made, but one of people who were in sync with one another. Since Hinata was leading the way through the caves, Sai went next, extending his ink creatures in all directions to search for traps and unwanted visitors. Kakashi took up the rear as the strongest of the three and able to resist any manner of unforeseen attack from behind.

What Kakashi had not anticipated was the need for some manner of light, and all the wood in the forest was too damp to make a torch with. While his lightning nature could produce various glowing weapons, it would be too much of a drain on his chakra to be his own human lantern. As he carefully followed the other two like a blind man into the pitch, Kakashi debated the best way to resolve this problem.

All thoughts flitted away at Hinata's surprised gasp.

"What is it?" Kakashi and Sai asked in unison.

"Can't you see it, Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata asked.

Kakashi tilted his head around in the darkness, then admitted, "Sorry, no."

"I touched the wall of the cave, and I can see blue light leading down the tunnel," Hinata said. "It looks… it looks like a chakra pathway system, one I would see in living things. But it's brighter, it glows. I can see everything now."

Chakra in walls of stone? It didn't make any sense. The chakra pathway system is enmeshed into the body and, like blood vessels, it touches and interacts with every living cell. For the stone to have such a thing was unheard of. No—it was impossible. Stone was not alive.

Kakashi lifted his eye patch and reached out to touch the wall of the cave. His eyes widened as the cavern began to glow with a rich, red light. "Huh, interesting." It was not lost on him how what he saw was different than what Hinata saw. First the lock on the chest, then the barrier, then the map with two separate paths colored differently, and now light that was only visible to them, again with switched colors. Perhaps there was something to the legend they were chasing, after all.

"I'm assuming the two of you can see in this darkness," Sai stated. "However, I am quite blind. I'm open to suggestions. I don't care to trip in front of either of you, or worse, be in the way."

"I can see for now," Kakashi replied, "but I can't leave my Sharingan exposed for too long a period or my chakra will drain. Then I'll be just as blind as you, as well as useless." He hoped Sai could hear the smile behind his words, but he wasn't counting on it.

"Well… maybe you two could ride one of Sai-san's animals while I lead the way?" Hinata suggested with her usual uncertainty.

"I'd prefer two animals," Kakashi offered.

"Agreed," Sai stated flatly as he pulled out his scroll and pen and began to draw in the dark as effortlessly as he did in the light.

The first animal was a large tiger, which Sai hopped atop, a leash dangling from its neck. The next animal burst from his scroll and landed at Kakashi's feet. It was a small jackass with a rope for a harness.

Kakashi looked at it dubiously for a moment, then muttered a soft, "Uh, huh," before swinging his long leg over it. The message was clear; Sai had learned how to be passive aggressive. This mission was becoming far more complicated than Kakashi had anticipated.

And they weren't even there yet.

-O0O-

Author's note: In regards to the comment about my using honorifics randomly, I'm really not. When I am writing in Sai's perspective, I am using honorifics because he does, as he's very polite. Kakashi, on the other hand, speaks in a less formal and far more casual way, abandoning honorifics most of the time unless they are a '-sama' person, like Lady Tsunade is Tsunade-sama. He also tends to give shorter responses unless he's explaining something, whereas Sai will over-explain.

Also, I am not planning on pairing Hinata and Sai. I am just exploring his character a bit and giving him an opportunity to ponder the opposite sex, especially the unrequited aspect of it, to better appreciate how Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata feel.


	4. Chapter 4

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 4

It was very disorienting riding an animal you couldn't see, surrounded by darkness. Years of training and experience helped Kakashi keep his head in the void that blocked out his most valuable sense. He could hear the footsteps of the beasts and Hinata's sandals as they scraped along the dirt floor of the cave. In truth, he half-considered taking a nap since it was sort of soothing to be rocked about gently in the darkness. His superior sense of smell could sometimes be a disadvantage, and the strongest scent was unfortunately their damp, muddy clothes. He wet his dry mouth with a drink from his water bottle, trying to rinse out the taste of stale dust that was kicked up as they travelled along the tunnel.

The silence was not entire. At times, Sai would engage Hinata in brief conversation. Kakashi was not surprised the exchanges did not last for more than a few minutes. Sai had yet to master the art of small talk, and Hinata had never shown herself to be especially garrulous. For his part, he remained silent. Sai had exhibited behavior that was inconsistent with what Kakashi expected, and in case the boy was still disgruntled over something so innocently meant, he decided it was best to pretend he didn't exist until Sai got over it.

Mostly, Kakashi just wished he could read his book until they got to wherever it was they were headed. Even if it weren't for the darkness, he'd left it in his flak jacket that morning. His disappointment faded when Sai's voice broke the silence again, grabbing his attention.

"Hinata-san, did Sakura tell you she also confessed to Naruto?"

The steady tread of Hinata's sandals paused. The animal Kakashi was on stopped moving. Kakashi was tempted to explain the situation Sai was referring to, but he really wanted to stay out of the drama of teenagers. He decided to wait and see what Sai was up to before saying anything.

"N-no," Hinata said after a few breaths. "When did she do that?"

"When Lee-san, Kiba-san, and I went with her to the Land of Iron to speak to Naruto about the village's decision in regards to Sasuke-kun," Sai replied. "She was lying to him, however. It made him very angry. Maybe she forgot to mention it with everything else that's happened since then, especially with the death of Danzo-sama and the conflict between Sasuke-kun and Team 7."

Hinata said nothing for a long moment, then began to walk again. "She lied to Naruto-kun about being in love with him? Why would she do that? I thought she was his friend. How could she be so… cruel? Poor Naruto-kun."

"It wasn't the best choice she could have made, Hinata," Kakashi said, deciding to intervene. "She was just trying to keep Naruto from chasing after Sasuke anymore. She did it because she's his friend, because she cares about him, not because she was trying to be cruel. For what it's worth, he didn't believe her for a second. He knows her too well."

"I see," Hinata said softly.

"For my part, I do not understand why Sakura is so fixated on Sasuke-kun," Sai stated. "He left the village, thus her. I had to interfere with his attempt to kill Naruto, he tried to kill Yamato-taichou and you, Kakashi-sensei, and he's tried to kill Sakura twice and says he wants to kill everyone in Konohagakure, including Naruto and Sakura. How can she still love him after all of that? She should be able to see he is not the same person he used to be."

No one replied to Sai. Kakashi didn't have an answer. He had never understood women and didn't plan on trying to start now. He agreed that any reasonable person would accept that Sasuke was a changed man. He had seen it with his own eyes how far Sasuke had fallen, and he didn't truly believe Naruto would be able to save him. He just wasn't going to stop him from trying. Naruto had never learned when to give up, and that was his best characteristic. His refusal to give up on anything was what had gotten him this far as a shinobi and a friend.

"On the one hand," Sai continued, "for Naruto's sake, I want to help him save his friend—save the bond. But on the other… I agree with what Gaara-sama told Naruto in the Land of Iron. Sasuke-kun is a threat to the Alliance in his desire to destroy Konohagakure and Naruto who carries the Kyubi. Naruto is also the reason I know what friendship means. I will defend him with my life, even if it means killing Sasuke-kun or die trying. Probably the latter if even you could not handle him, Kakashi-sensei—even though he was weakened and wounded."

For the briefest moment, it felt like praise from Sai, but then Kakashi wondered if Sai was getting a dig in on purpose. Tenzo had told him Naruto and Sai got off on the wrong foot because of Sai's constant goading of Naruto. Perhaps this was an attempt by Sai to become more familiar with Kakashi as he'd become more familiar with Naruto and Sakura. Yes, it was humbling to see how much stronger Sasuke had become since the last time Kakashi had seen him. The boy had surpassed Kakashi in his absence, but only in strength and abilities. He had not learned any of the lessons that made a truly good shinobi. Sasuke was just a vengeance-filled weapon now, driven by hatred.

But more important to the moment, Kakashi didn't like Sai trying to goad him into familiarity, if that was, in fact, what he was trying to do. Kakashi liked their relationship precisely as it was. Frankly, he liked getting the respect his position deserved from at least one of his pupils, since the other three were lacking in that department. He was fond of all of them (except perhaps Sasuke at this point), but it was refreshing to have Sai treat him as a mentor while Naruto and Sakura mostly treated him as a referee between the two of them or a father-figure who resolved the problems they themselves created.

"Naruto-kun will never forgive anyone who manages to kill Sasuke-san," Hinata said. "He understands how everyone feels, but that doesn't change how _he_ feels. Sasuke-san is his… most important person. More important than even Sakura if he's able to forgive Sasuke-san for trying to kill her, don't you think? He wants to save his friend, even if that makes everyone else hate him, everyone that he's tried to earn the respect of all these years. It's what it means to never go back on your word, and that's Naruto's nindo. He's willing to risk everything he has, everything he is, to keep his word. I will support him as I always have. It's my nindo, too."

Kakashi sympathized with how Hinata felt, but he'd had a nindo, too. _Never let anyone on my team die._ The words were so hollow to him now after the loss of so many comrades over the years. He had always done his best, but that doesn't make a shinobi infallible. Things happened, things that were beyond anyone's control. Simply wishing for success didn't make it so. As for Hinata's resolve to support Naruto, Kakashi had no doubt she meant it. But what would those words mean to her if she saw Naruto's broken corpse lying at Sasuke's feet?

"I don't have a nindo," Sai offered. "It has always been about the mission, not about my actions as an individual or my beliefs. In Root, we said 'You have no name. You have no feelings. You have no past. You have no future. There is only the mission.' But now I don't know what will happen with Root. Perhaps like its members, it has no future, either."

Hinata's footsteps stopped again. "You have a future, Sai-san! I don't know about Root, about what you went through or what you've done as a member, but I know who you are now. You are a member of Team 7 and don't need Root anymore. You have friends, and as long as you have friends, you have a future."

Kakashi hoped Sai didn't argue with Hinata's simple logic. She was sweet and well-meaning, a truly gentle soul. She didn't deserve to have her optimism broken down by Sai who was still trying to understand basic concepts of human interaction.

"Are you my friend, Hinata-san?"

Instead of a reply, there was a sudden jerk of the animal Kakashi was riding that nearly toppled him, and Hinata let out a terrified scream that abruptly got further and further away.

Sai yelled, "Hinata-san!" simultaneously to Kakashi's bark of, "Chidori!"

The blue light illuminated the tunnel and the absence of Hinata. Where she should have been was instead a large hole in the ground. Both men dashed to the edge and looked over. Nothing but blackness awaited them. "Hinata-san!" Sai tried again.

"I… I'm okay," Hinata's voice echoed up. "I think… yes, I think I'm stuck, though. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Kakashi said. "We'll get you out of there, just hang on."

Sai had already taken out his scroll and pen and was hastily drawing something. "Don't panic, Hinata-san, but I am sending down many snakes. They will be able to dislodge you and help you get your bearings so you can walk back up the wall of the hole, okay?"

"S-snakes?" Hinata asked, a hint of panic in that single syllable.

The pen paused in Sai's hand. "I can do rats if you prefer."

"No! No rats! Snakes are… are okay."

Serpents by the dozens slithered forth from Sai's scroll, and Kakashi felt a little bad for Hinata as he heard her struggling with her situation and her fear down in the pitch. The occasional, "Kya!" would echo up, but none of them seemed closer than the one before.

"How's it going down there?" Kakashi asked, trying to position the chidori in his hand to get a better look into the depths. When he received no answer, he called out, "Hinata?"

"It's just… I think you're supposed to come this way," Hinata said after a moment. "The chakra pathway is along the wall of the hole, and there's a symbol beneath me. I think it's showing us the way."

"Are you free to move?" Sai asked. When Hinata answered in the positive, he tucked his scroll and pen away and swung his legs over the edge of the hole. "I'm coming down, then." He planted his feet against the wall to walk down the hole.

Kakashi did the same, not extinguishing his chidori. It was hell on his chakra to keep it up for too long, but they needed to see where they were going until they got to the bottom of the hole.

The next moment was kind of a dark blur. Kakashi heard one of the beasts they left behind scuffling at the edge above them. His curiosity compelled him to glance back, but too late. The jackass flew past him, headed towards Sai. "Watch out!" Kakashi yelled.

The beast hit Sai squarely in the back, but he still managed to order a quick, "Release!" making the creature disappear. But not soon enough to stop the momentum it gave Sai to fall forward towards Hinata. He slammed into her, but promptly twisted himself around her to position his body between her and the cave floor. They hit the ground with a solid _thud_.

Kakashi sprinted down the wall and jumped to the ground. "Are you two all right?"

Sai's black eyes were open, staring into the darkness above him. His arms were wrapped around Hinata, her face pressed against his chest, her eyes clenched shut. At Kakashi's question, she opened them, blinked, then adjusted her arms to hold herself up over Sai.

"Sai-san, are you okay?" she asked worriedly, brushing his hair away from his face, presumably searching for injuries. He stared at her, as though he hadn't heard a word she said. "Sai-san?"

"Sai!" Kakashi said, a little worried. If the boy had stunned himself or received a head injury, that would make their mission all that more difficult to complete. Not to mention Kakashi's inherent concern for a teammate's well-being. Fortunately, Sai startled at Kakashi's tone and made to sit up, Hinata sliding out of the way.

"Just a little winded is all," Sai said, lifting himself up to a low crouch and glancing around at their current destination. "There's a little light now."

Kakashi's focus had been on Sai, so he'd failed to notice the light that was creeping in from around the corner of the tunnel they'd landed in. "Looks like we're almost there, huh?" He extinguished his chidori and stepped towards the light. "Let's go."

-O0O-

Author's note: Thank you all so much for reading this far. In case you can't tell by now, this is going to be a rather long story. Just Kakashi's point-of-view this time, sorry. It'll be back to both next chapter. I try to keep my chapters at a little over 2,000 words so it's not too short or too long.


	5. Chapter 5

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 5

a/n: And right about here is where I make a total break with canon. Many of the theories and aspects I put in here are just my own wishful thinking or meant purely to entertain and not dissect for accuracy, so please don't reprimand me.

-O0O-

As they headed towards the light, Kakashi's senses began to fill with new data. He could smell and hear fresh water as it thundered from a great height, presumably a waterfall. The tunnel became humid from the moisture in the air, but it wasn't heavy or hot. If anything it was refreshing, almost like breathing laundered air. He couldn't think of another way to describe it. The exit was still a good ways off, but the clear, azure sky could already be seen. The storm must have lifted during their journey through the dark. He was surprised to also catch the scent of someiyoshino, but it was well past the time of sakura blooming.

"You were very quick back there," Hinata said to Sai behind Kakashi. "To turn us so fast in order to put yourself first to land. But why? Was that part of your Root training, Sai-san?"

"We were not trained to _save_ people in Root," Sai said flatly. "It was just the right thing to do. It was my fault we were falling. I did not remember to release my jutsu beasts before descending the wall, and therefore put you both in danger with my negligence."

Kakashi pursed his lips together under his bandages. No, Root was not known for their humanitarian escapades. Sai was a killer, not born but bred. Kakashi was sure the other kids his age either chose to forget that or never considered it to begin with. Aside from Naruto, no other in their generation would have a hope of taking Sai on in a fight. To them, it seemed to Kakashi, that he was just a socially awkward replacement for Sasuke. He'd even heard the kids remark how similar Sai was to Sasuke in appearance.

But no two people could be more different. Sai was emotionless and conditioned to be a killer on command. Sasuke was _overrun_ with emotions, choosing to destroy anyone and anything that got in his way. Danzō had believed Sai was strong enough to eliminate Sasuke on his own, but he couldn't have been more wrong. Sai would have lost because he lacked the fury and hatred that provoked every muscle movement in Sasuke's fighting.

What also set them apart was the Sharingan. Had Danzō chosen to give Sai two of the eyes he'd instead implanted in his own arm, Sai might have been an opponent Sasuke would've come to regret facing. Sasuke would have met Sai with rage, and Sai would have countered it with reason and analysis. While anger could be a strong enough motivator to win, it was also a weakness when one lost control entirely.

"I was also made to promise to keep you safe," Sai said after a moment, and he sounded hesitant to admit it.

"A promise?" Hinata asked. "To who?"

Kakashi glanced over his shoulder at the two teens as they walked. Hinata was looking at Sai, her eyes wide with curiosity, yet Sai did not see them. He was looking to his left, as if examining the stone wall with indifference.

"Two days ago, before Naruto left with Gai-sensei and Yamato-taichou, he made me promise to look after his friends while he was gone." Sai still did not look at Hinata, but gave an apathetic shrug. "I assume you are included in that category."

"I see," Hinata said softly. There was a long silence before she offered, "He must trust you very much to ask you to look after his friends."

"He knows I am strong," Sai replied in his monotone way, seemingly bored with the conversation.

No, Kakashi knew better than that. Sai had proven himself to Naruto in recent events, from obstructing the Cloud shinobi who beat Naruto to a pulp, to helping Kakashi and Naruto interfere with Sakura's plans to take on Sasuke by herself. Naruto had grown to accept Sai as a member of Team Kakashi.

The crackle of a disturbed barrier halted Kakashi in his tracks and he snapped back his singed hand. "Hinata, looks like we've got a problem." He lifted his eye patch and slowly extended his fingertips, only to jerk them back again at the sizzle of his flesh.

Hinata stepped past him and followed suit, only to be met with the same resistance. She looked up at him. "What should we do?"

"Well, the _scrolls_ need both the Sharingan and Byakugan…" Kakashi suggested with a shrug. They both reached out at the same time, and while the barrier crackled, it did allow them to pass their hands through. They withdrew their hands in sync, and Kakashi turned to Sai. "I'm not sure what to do about getting you through, though."

Sai glanced at both of them in turn, then stepped forward and reached towards the barrier. Nothing happened. His eyes widened in surprise, then he took a step forward, keeping his hand out. He repeated this motion a few times without incident. "It appears it is not a problem for me," he said over his shoulder to Kakashi.

Kakashi and Hinata had watched Sai in silence, but Hinata was the first to ask the obvious question. "How did you do that?"

"I have no idea."

While Hinata might be fine with an answer like that, Kakashi was deeply unnerved. It didn't make any sense. Why have all the information given in a way that is only visible to dojutsu users, but have a barrier that keeps them out and allows others in? It felt like a trap. "Sai, get back he—"

He was cut off by the alarming rumble of collapsing stone. Kakashi grabbed Hinata's hand and dragged her through the barrier, promptly taking Sai's arm with his other hand as he yelled, "Run!"

The three of them bolted down the remaining length of the tunnel, rocks and stone raining down on them as they fled. Kakashi was terrified. In his mind, the mantra over and over, _not again not again not again_.

They burst from the tunnel, trailing a cloud of dust, then Kakashi had to pull back on them hard before they went tumbling over the small outcropping and down a treacherously high cliff to a large lake below. Sai knelt down into a half-crouch while Hinata bent forward and put her hands on her knees, catching her breath.

Kakashi stood at the precipice and soaked in their destination. It was like a chunk of Heaven had been pulled down from the sky and left to flourish. It was a large cavern with a wide hole in the ceiling, allowing vibrant sunshine to illuminate the riot of color of flora. From the breathtaking sakura that danced in the gentle breeze to the crimson poppies, lush grass, blue irises, lavender, wisteria, himawari, and so many others he couldn't identify from his high perch, to the shibazakura that spread across parts of the shore of the lake, only to crawl up the sides of the cavern walls behind the roaring waterfall he had been hearing the later part of their travel. He was no botanist, but he was half-sure that many of the flowers were blooming out of season, as if they had no regard to weather patterns or human calendars.

A child's exclamation of delight caught his attention and he turned to see a girl of about ten years emerge from a deep tulip bed, carrying a handful of picked flowers. She was pale with long, black hair, wearing nothing but the dirt and grass she'd been lying in. The girl skipped over to the edge of the lake and began setting the flowers in the gentle tide, watching them float on their petals towards the center of the water.

He had prepared himself for many things as they journeyed here, but Kakashi had not been prepared for _this_. Where was the weapon? Was the child some manner of guardian? Perhaps it was in the lake or behind the waterfall. He didn't know what to do—namely, he didn't know how to approach a naked child without feeling extremely awkward. Perhaps he should have Hinata do it…

Abruptly, the decision was out of his hands. The girl's head cocked up and she spotted him standing atop the cliff. His eyes widened in alarm when the girl transfigured into an enormous, beautiful dragon clad in pearl and abalone scales that twisted as it rose into the air towards him. There were strands of pearls and shells hanging from its luxurious and luminous mane. Its eyes were jade lanterns, fixed on him until it suddenly disassembled into hundreds of peacocks, still spiraling in a hurricane of gorgeous hues of green and blue. Just as the birds were about to descend on him, they scattered and became a tsunami of vibrant blue butterflies that washed over him softly, culminating into a figure that began to form behind him. He spun around and gaped in awe at the creature that manifested into the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, ethereal in every aspect from her shimmering strands of pearl and abalone hair to her porcelain skin and perfect contours. He tried _very_ hard to not look at her sloping breasts, but it was incredibly difficult. Luckily, they were mostly concealed by her waist-length hair and numerous strands of pearl and jade beads that hung around her neck. Her cerulean eyes had no pupils, but that did not detract from their beauty, nor their intensity as she gazed at him. She looked no older than twenty, but he was sure that was an illusion.

Kakashi broke eye contact only to check on his subordinates. Sai had positioned himself between Hinata and the woman with his tip-less tantō drawn, frowning at her with obvious suspicion. Kakashi realized he should be doing the same thing instead of getting lost in his appreciation of her appearance. Sobering somewhat, he managed only to say (with a hint of anxiety that made him cringe on the inside), "Yōkai?"

The young woman laughed, and it was filled with such harmony, it could almost be a song. It was soothing to the ear, and Kakashi smiled despite his uncertainty. "Kami!" she replied with obvious merriment, then began to speak eagerly in such an ancient dialect, Kakashi was dumbstruck as to how to reply. He'd not understood a single thing she said, other than she was a goddess. Kakashi was unconvinced.

She paused and looked at him questioningly. Behind her eyes, he could see a decision made, and he tensed as she stepped closer to him and put both her hands to either side of his face. In his mind, he could hear her voice, but this time he understood every word. "_I have been here too long to remember my name with no one here to call it out to me. It was, I think, something like 'Akitsu,' but I do not like how that sounds. You have chosen me to be Manami for you, and I like that much better. I think I was also her once before, but I cannot say for sure. It sounds so familiar to my ears, but perhaps she was a friend I've forgotten. I remember so little, no matter how I try_."

Kakashi was tempted to step back and ask her what she meant by all of that, but he didn't know where to begin. After a beat, he decided to ask, "Why do you say I've chosen Manami-sama? I don't know what you mean."

She smiled at him again, a pleased one and not a patronizing one, thank the gods. "_Son of Hagoromo, I am for you what you find most beautiful. You've chosen Manami. I am that which Hagoromo left for you to find when it was time. How can you not understand?_" A troubled look erupted on her face and she took one step back, then glanced at Hinata and Sai. She turned back to Kakashi and said, "_You are not a Son of Hagoromo. You are of the Hatake, the people of the sea. How do you have this?_" She brushed her thumb beneath his left eye. "_Oh, that's how_."

"What is happening, Kakashi-sensei?" Sai asked worriedly, his frown still fixed on the woman.

"She says she is a goddess who has been waiting for us," Kakashi said uncertainly, not sure if he understood the woman correctly. "She called me 'Son of Hagoromo,' and I think she means the Rikudō Sennin. She said something about my people; Manami-sama was an ocean goddess of my clan, and she said she's become her because I wished it, but I didn't. I've no idea how she knows about them if she doesn't know who I am, but—"

"_It's all in here_," she said, tapping her fingers against his head. "_I know all about you, Hatake Kakashi. Everything you have experienced is in here for me to read_."

Kakashi absolutely _loathed_ that idea and took a step back, out of her reach. "No offense, but my thoughts aren't there for just anyone to read."

The woman held his eyes for a long moment, then turned her attention to Sai and Hinata. "Daughter of Kaguya," she said to Hinata, and she was more easily understood, though her dialect was still ragged. She made a gesture of coaxing with her hands, smiling brightly at the girl.

Sai put out his arm to stop Hinata as she made to comply, but Hinata gently pushed it down with her hands and stepped closer to the woman, a kind smile on her face. The woman put her hands to Hinata's head, cupping her cheeks in her palms. The two of them had a silent conversation briefly, then the woman transformed into Lady Hyuga. A naked one.

"Kya! Okāsan!" Hinata ripped her sash off her waist and spread it out over the woman to hide her flesh from the two men. Hinata's cheeks were beet red.

Kakashi turned his back, and hoped Sai did, too. "Um… Hinata. Did she say why she did that?"

"S-she said it was because I found my mother the most b-beautiful," Hinata stammered behind him. He could only guess as to what she was doing to try to keep her mother's dignity.

"Son of Hagoromo," the woman now guised as Lady Hyuga said.

"No, Sai-san. Don't!"

Kakashi turned to see the woman approaching Sai, Hinata pulling at the sash she tied around her mother's form precariously. Sai was shaking his head and took a step back. The woman burst into a cascade of sakura, the petals whirling around Sai until taking human form again in front of him. Kakashi didn't need psychic powers to know what was coming, and he did a mental face-palm at Sai's choice.

Perhaps because his flesh was so pale, Sai's blush looked like a crimson sunburn in response to the full frontal of Hinata he had just received from this 'goddess' who apparently had no concept of modesty or personal boundaries.

-O0O-

Author's Note: This chapter is getting longer than I'd like, and I still have Sai's perspective to give in regards to what happens next, so that'll be the beginning of the next chapter instead. I hope y'all are liking it so far. Please let me know since I get giddy with feedback.


	6. Chapter 6

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 6

a/n: For those worried about Manami being a Mary Sue, fear not. (Though I'm tempted to mention how many _canon_ Mary Sues and Gary Stus there are.) I'm also going to suggest a quite plausible theory I once had that people might hate, but that's what fanfic is for, right? There's plenty of crazy stuff floating around. My theory has nothing to do with Rules 34 or 63, however. (Surely no one here needs to google those, right?) Mine is more Rule 20 and Rule 36.

-O0O-

Brief recap:

Kakashi turned to see the woman approaching Sai, Hinata pulling at the sash she tied around her mother's form precariously. Sai was shaking his head and took a step back. The woman burst into a cascade of sakura, the petals whirling around Sai until taking human form again in front of him. Kakashi didn't need psychic powers to know what was coming, and he did a mental face-palm at Sai's choice.

Perhaps because his flesh was so pale, Sai's blush looked like a crimson sunburn in response to the full frontal of Hinata he had just received from this 'goddess' who apparently had no concept of modesty or personal boundaries.

-O0O-

Sai had watched as Kakashi-sensei was engulfed by a swarm of butterflies, half-afraid they were some sort of flesh-eating mutation. His immediate concern was the safety of Hinata-san, were the creatures to turn on them when they were done with Kakashi-sensei. When they transfigured into a naked woman, Sai was now convinced they were under some kind of genjutsu, but that didn't stop him from drawing his tantō from beneath his shirt and positioning himself to better protect Hinata-san as he'd promised.

He frowned when the woman spoke, unable to understand her, but was placated slightly that Kakashi-sensei hadn't understood her, either. At least Sai hadn't lost his ability to understand the spoken word as he briefly feared. The woman seemed to be communicating with Kakashi-sensei, but what the man relayed to them didn't make a lot of sense to Sai. It seemed his team leader was more curious than alarmed, and that was a dangerous attitude to have.

When the woman turned her attention to Hinata-san, Sai tensed and frowned deeply at her, shaking his head. Hinata-san had other ideas, however, and his attempt to stop her failed. Why would she do something so stupid? Just because someone calls out you, that doesn't mean you have to respond. Clearly, Hinata-san's predisposition to be compliant ran deeper than Sai had suspected. He had no doubt she regretted her obedience immediately, and like Kakashi-sensei, he turned away for Hinata-san's sake—at first. But then his training took over and he ignored entirely the condition of the woman and watched only for any indications of danger. He would not let harm come to Hinata-san just because the enemy was naked and he was supposed to show some kind of regard for her dignity. Instead, he watched the interaction between Hinata-san and the shapeshifter with dispassionate eyes.

At least until the woman came towards him, calling him the same thing she'd called Kakashi-sensei. Hinata-san was clearly distressed, so for her sake he tried to retreat, but his escape options were limited and the woman burst into sakura petals before he could decide the best action to take. Briefly relieved she had not touched his head as she'd done the others (and therefore suck his thoughts out, too), Sai's eyes widened in alarm as the petals danced through his hair and caressed his face, then (much to his horror) she transformed into Hinata-san—without the sash that had been wrapped around her prior form.

Sai was too terrified to meet Hinata-san's eyes—either pair. But he couldn't look down because _those_ were there, and he couldn't look to the left because Kakashi-sensei was there and Sai was too afraid of meeting _his_ eyes, either. He chose the sanest option; he closed them. Tightly. Promptly deciding it was far more indecent for Hinata-san to be naked than him, Sai tugged his shirt until all the snaps gave, and began to slip out of it to relinquish to the false Hinata-san, but opened his eyes in alarm when Hinata-san made a strange, choked gasp.

His onyx eyes met her horrified pearl-whites, and he felt shame slither all the way around his body, squeezing the air out of him. Did she think he was disrobing to _ravish_ her? Surely not. He had shown Hinata-san nothing but respect. It was just better for him to be shirtless than for her to be completely naked. Surely she understood that.

Something shifted in Hinata-san's gaze, an alarming appearance of _nothing_.

"Hinata-san?" Sai asked tentatively, holding out the shirt for the creature in front of him without risking even the slightest glance to see if she was going to accept it. Hinata-san's eyes started to close and her knees gave out. "Hinata-san!"

It became a slow, awkward ballet in Sai's mind. Dangerously close to the edge of the outcropping, Hinata-san fell backwards, but landed at the edge of it, on her side. An instant later, any relief Sai may have been able to summon vanished as she rolled over the edge. A jagged rock smeared with blood lay where her head had been. Somehow Sai body flickered fast enough to the edge to reach out for her, but his fingertips could only brush along her palm, unable to latch onto her hand. "_Hinata_!" he bellowed, but he was too well-trained to just crouch there and do nothing. He made to launch himself after her limp body, his stomach tightening as she twirled, her thick, dark hair spinning about her face as she got further and further from him.

Sai's feet had just pushed him off the ground when a hand grabbed his arm mid-air and he came crashing down against the side of the cliff. Furious eyes darted to Kakashi-sensei who was leaning over the edge, bracing both their bodies with his other arm. Disbelieving that his sensei would stall him like this, enraged and betrayed, Sai spat, "Let. Me. _Go_!" through gritted teeth. Something excruciating burst in Sai's skull behind his temples, but he didn't care if he'd just blown a blood vessel from his anger.

Kakashi-sensei's eyes widened almost comically, then he frowned in what seemed bewilderment. What was there to be _confused_ about? Sai had an overwhelming urge to climb back up the cliff just to hit him. "Calm down, Sai," Kakashi-sensei said reasonably, tightening his grasp on Sai's arm and looking at him like… he was afraid. Yes, like he was holding onto a feral creature that he'd love to let loose. His alarmed gaze was incongruent with his measured, relaxed tone. "We'll get her, but you—"

Giving him no chance to argue further, Sai planted his feet against the cliff and yanked back hard, freeing himself from Kakashi-sensei's grasp. As he fell away backwards, he rotated himself into a dive, hoping it would help him pierce through the water more deeply to catch up to Hinata's sinking form. Had he been more prepared, more warned, he would have used his beast scroll, and he cursed himself for letting that creature distract him so much. _Again_, he'd put Hinata in danger through his own shortcomings.

His mind fogged and cleared rapidly, specters of thought flittered about in his psyche, too brief to focus on, but all of them a cacophony of rage and terror that made focusing on his task extremely difficult. Sai did not like the effect this had on his body. His heart slammed against his ribcage painfully, thrusting his blood into his head in vociferous waves.

The cold water wrapped itself tight around him as he entered it, taking his breath away, but still he lumbered forward as best he could, fighting the resistance of the water against his prickled flesh to dive deeper to recover Hinata. No, Hinata-_san_. He had no right to call her anything else now. Gods, he was so _stupid_.

Fighting against his tempestuous thoughts, Sai tried to clear his mind of self-loathing and just focus on what needed to be done. He could barely see her pale skin as she sank deeper into dark blue water, so he kicked furiously, gaining speed. His words from earlier echoed hatefully in his mind, _We were not trained to _save_ people in Root_. But he could. Damn it all, he knew he _could_. He'd done it before, he could do it again. This was no time to panic.

After what felt like hours, he managed to slink his arms around Hinata-san, pulling her against him. Sai promptly adjusted their bodies and turned to begin their ascent to the surface. It looked miles away. With everything he had, he focused his chakra into the bottoms of his feet and launched them towards safety. Sai burst out of the water with a gasp and fell back to float, yet Hinata-san was silent in his grasp. He climbed onto the lake's surface and pulled her into his arms, carrying her limp form across the surface of the water to the lush grass of the shore, setting her down gently as he knelt beside her. She didn't seem to be breathing. "Hinata-san?" he called out softly.

Removed from the water, Hinata-san's wound had begun to bleed again, a thick crimson line of gore that trailed across the bridge of her nose, pooling in her closed eye briefly before trickling down her pale, soft cheek. The gash was deep, above her left eye, the flesh around it already purpling. But to be bleeding was to be alive, so Sai focused on that instead of letting his terror grip him again. That had been most unpleasant.

Kakashi-sensei came running across the lake, Sai's shirt in his hand, demanding, "Roll her over. We have to get the water out of her lungs."

Sai obeyed, cradling her head in his hand as he did so and brushed her wet locks from her face. His sensei knelt on the other side of Hinata-san and began doing something that he would have assumed to be painful, but the girl gave no response. Again, Kakashi-sensei pushed hard on her back, his palms alight with blue chakra. Hinata-san coughed and water erupted out of her mouth, dribbling down her chin. Kakashi-sensei did it a third time and Hinata-san cried out in pain. Sai's hand reached out and grabbed the other man's forearm, squeezing it so tightly his knuckles looked in danger of breaking his skin. His sensei said nothing, only dropped his gaze to the offending appendage questioningly then arched a brow at him. Sai blinked, dumbfounded, then released him, staring at his hand as if it had been possessed.

Hinata-san stirred between them, and tried to sit up. Her head was still bowed towards the ground, her hair a wet, silky curtain that obscured her face. Sai held his hand out silently, gesturing for his shirt Kakashi-sensei had dropped beside his feet. His sensei complied, also choosing silence, yet his _eyes_—oh, gods, his eyes. _Why does he keep looking at me like that?_

Sai turned away, pulling Hinata-san more upright against his chest and covering her with his dry shirt. Slender fingers delicately pulled her hair aside so he could assess her wound. Hinata-san's head was tilted back, her eyes glassy as she looked up at him. Sai gave her a reassuring smile, but said gently, "You need to stay awake, okay, Hinata-san?" He needed to treat her wound, but was reluctant to let go of her. His irrational behavior was dangerous and he knew it, but Sai simply _couldn't_ help it. It was like his voice of reason was screaming to be heard behind an attention-seeking little hobgoblin in his head. If this was what emotion felt like, Sai wanted nothing to do with it anymore.

-O0O-

Kakashi had lunged past the naked Hinata, determined to not glance her direction, having eyes only for his subordinates as they headed over the cliff. It was sheer luck that he managed to reach Sai in time, all his efforts at first focused on saving the boy before he killed himself so they could descend _together_ to save Hinata. If he'd just take a moment to _think_, he'd realize his scroll beasts would be the fastest and most efficient way to retrieve Hinata.

But when Sai turned his head to look up at Kakashi instead of Hinata's falling form, all of Kakashi's thoughts just… _stopped_. On some level, he knew the boy was yelling at him in anger, which alone _would_ have been an event to mark on the calendar ordinarily. But there was nothing ordinary about the incensed eyes less than five feet from his own, and Kakashi was dumbstruck at being caught in that _most_ unexpected crimson gaze. Sai's hair whipped around in the breeze, free of his headband, and it was like looking into Sasuke's all-to-familiar face again. Sai seemed unaware—too furious to _be_ aware, and Kakashi feared what he might do without even realizing he would or _could_ do it. His only option was to calm Sai down, but he knew he failed the instant the boy's feet planted against the cliff.

The creature stepped over to look down the cliff as Kakashi rose to his feet. She'd become Manami again, holding Sai's shirt at her side. She said something to him, and it seemed like a question, but he couldn't answer what he didn't understand. Instead, he pulled Sai's shirt from her grasp and headed down the cliff face to join his team members, his mind racing.

It wasn't possible. The clan had been wiped out. None but Sasuke and Itachi survived, the latter now dead. Everyone knew that. Granted, Madara had thrown a wrench in that belief, but he'd no longer been a resident of Konohagakure. Hell, the whole world believed him dead decades ago. But now there were _three_? No. No, it had to be some kind of trick. Perhaps the shapeshifter had done something to him. She had called him a Son of Hagoromo as well, but Sai had no lineage to trace, no parents for her see inside his…

Wait. Sai was from Root. An _orphan_ from Root. An orphan that Danzo had 'found.' One that he had raised to suppress his emotions entirely, emotions that otherwise would have activated his Sharingan… it was possible. If Sai had been an Uchiha that Danzo had some special, unknown purpose for, yes—it _was_ possible, especially if Danzo had hidden his existence from Itachi and was the one responsible for ordering the deaths of all other Uchiha he didn't have personally under his thumb. Yes, now it seemed almost _obvious_. Danzo had always been a calculating old fox, and Sai had always been a particular favorite of his. Perhaps this was why.

By the time Kakashi reached the pair on the shore, he was more concerned with saving Hinata's life than the origins of the boy beside her. When Sai grabbed his arm angrily, Kakashi looked into those eyes again, but they faded to black as Sai collected himself and released his arm. He glanced at Hinata as she stirred, watching Sai as he tended to her, not sure what to make of him. He went from calm to furious to tender, all in the blink of an eye. Red ones.

-O0O-

Author's Note: .

Don't hate me.

I can't POSSIBLY be the only one who's thought of this, so sorry if this is old hat to anyone.

Yes, it could be argued that Sai had become angry at Deidara, so if he'd had Sharingan, it would have come out. Per wikia, "The moment that an Uchiha comes to know a powerful emotion towards someone, such as love and friendship, a stressful or emotional condition brought out from losing that precious person causes the brain to release a special form of chakra that affects the optic nerves while transforming the eyes into Sharingan." Well, he'd already lost Shin years ago, so he wasn't angry at losing him again. He was angry at Deidara for using Shin as a weapon. When he'd lost him, he'd already been conditioned to purge emotions and what we saw in the anime was not in the manga, the actual death of Shin. Wikia also says, "It is possible for an Uchiha to lose memory of such an event and not reactivate it until through willpower years later." So even if Sai HAD Sharingan before from Shin's death, it's possible he forgot or didn't even realize. Also, in my story he didn't actually lose Hinata, but he thought he was going to, and he was blaming himself for it, hence the anger-enduced surprise!Sharingan.

Either way, for me it's just a fun theory. Everyone always talked about how he looked like Sasuke, therefore looked like an Uchiha, so I figured… meh, why not? And no, he won't be a long lost brother or cousin or direct relation of Sasuke's, but I do know who he's related to…


	7. Chapter 7

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 7

Author's note: Well, I lost half my readers with that last little maneuver, but I'm honestly not surprised. Thanks so much to those of you who decided my story is worth keeping up with!

-O0O-

Brief recap:

By the time Kakashi reached the pair on the shore, he was more concerned with saving Hinata's life than the origins of the boy beside her. When Sai grabbed his arm angrily, Kakashi looked into those eyes again, but they faded to black as Sai collected himself and released his arm. He glanced at Hinata as she stirred, watching Sai as he tended to her, not sure what to make of him. He went from calm to furious to tender, all in the blink of an eye. Red ones.

-O0O-

Kakashi heard a splash in the lake. Tilting his head in the direction it came from, he saw the tail end (literally) of the shapeshifter in her dragon form disappearing below the surface. He decided she had lost interest in them, and he had more important immediate concerns. Her existence was fascinating, and Kakashi was immeasurably curious about her, but Hinata's condition was his priority. She was the medical nin of their group, but she seemed to have lost all her medical equipment in the lake, as well as the scrolls she'd been carrying without her sash to hold them in beneath her shirt. They had nothing to bandage her with, much less treat her injury with, not to mention the very real possibility of illness setting in from almost drowning.

The shapeshifter emerged from the water near them, now a diminutive form of her former glory. In her mouth, much like a dog with a stick, she carried the scrolls Hinata had before her tumble over the cliff. She dropped them at Kakashi's feet, then slowly melted into a small, white fox, peering up at him with what looked like apologetic, sad eyes. He couldn't help but drop to a low crouch and ruffle the fur on her head. "It's not… all your fault." He couldn't bring himself to lie, not to a mind reader who would know it.

She chuffed at him and jerked her head back from his reach, tottering over to Hinata with open curiosity—then let out a shrill, terrified sound Kakashi didn't know foxes could make. She jumped behind him in one leap, pressing her body to his back as she changed into something else, her new body trembling against him.

Kakashi lifted his arm as he turned, looking under it to catch a glimpse of whatever she'd turned into now. Unfortunately, she had chosen the form of the naked, raven-haired child again and she was curled up over her knees, her arms crossed against her shins. "You really need to stop changing into naked girls," he muttered, more to himself than to her, as he pulled his shirt off, following Sai's example.

As he went to wrap it over her, she turned and slapped both her palms against the bandages on his face, her eyes broad and horrified. "_Blood! Why is there blood? Make it go away. Make it go away! Mortal. Mortal. Mortal! Make it go away! AWAY! Why is it there? Humans. Death. Always death. Horrible, awful, hateful, wretched, useless. Won't have it. Hate it. Make it leave. Make it LEEEEEAVE!_"

His eyes widened in surprise. Kakashi couldn't fathom a creature like her being afraid of something like blood, but it seemed to be more than that. There had been blood on the rock back on the outcropping and she'd paid it no mind at all. He couldn't be sure, but she seemed more upset by the idea of mortality, and perhaps the flowing blood on Hinata was a reminder of that inevitable reality for… _most_ things. If nothing else was certain about this creature, it was that she didn't have to worry about that little footnote in the contract of existence. But that didn't explain her anxiety. If anything, it was the last things she should fear. Considering how little Kakashi knew about this shapeshifting, immortal being that had been sealed away since time immemorial, he supposed he should stop making assumptions.

"Sensei!" Sai's distressed voice brought Kakashi back to the present. "Hinata-san closed her eyes again and I cannot get her to open them. If she's concussed—"

"I know." Kakashi pulled his head out of the child's grasp and turned back to Sai, his eyes on the Hyuga heiress in his arms. "She needs medical treatment immediately. Use your beast scroll and leave me."

"But, Kakashi-sensei," Sai argued, "what about never—"

"Whatever you're going to quote me, don't," Kakashi warned, his eyes darkening. "I'm not in danger, Hinata is. You're not abandoning me, you're saving _her_. Go!"

Sai frowned at him, and looked like he had something more to say, but instead shook his head and whipped out his scroll and brush. An enormous bird erupted from it, and Sai hastily put his shirt back before he jumped astride the animal, Hinata in his arms. He held her tightly against his chest as the two of them soared into the air, and Kakashi _almost_ held his breath as they flew out the top of the cavern, _almost_ afraid that the barrier would throw them back down into the lake.

But something told him the barriers weren't a problem for Sai anymore.

O0O

Kakashi settled himself on the grass and pulled his eye patch back down at last. The shapeshifter had calmed herself and sat a few feet from him, her body engulfed in his shirt with only her head and tips of her toes exposed. He doubted she would understand, but he asked, "What was that all about, huh?"

She tilted her head at him, her dark eyes wide and confused. Words tumbled rapidly from her mouth, utter gibberish to Kakashi. She frowned at his impassive expression, then rose to her feet and stepped towards him.

He put a hand out, meaning for her to keep some distance, but she slid her tiny fingers between his. "_Where did they go?_"

It was his turn to frown. "You wanted that, remember?"

"_I wanted death to go away. They could have stayed._"

Kakashi lowered his hand, but she did not loose it. Instead she sat cross-legged next to him. For being such an ancient creature, she seemed to have a child's mind instead of one that reflected its years. He decided it would be best to treat her as such. "Death would have stayed had they not left. Now it will chase them, and I hope it doesn't catch them." _Please, for the love of all that is sacred, don't let death catch them_, Kakashi thought, letting out a heavy sigh. Naruto would… no, there's no telling what he would do. He was unpredictable, after all.

"_Naruto is your… student_," she said matter-of-factly. "_And so are Sakura and Kaito. Sasuke used to be, but he left because you couldn't teach him what he wanted to learn. But Sakura also went to another teacher, as did Naruto. Are you not a good teacher?_"

"Sometimes, I wonder," Kakashi deadpanned, putting his face in the palm of his free hand, his elbow resting on his knee. "This thing you're doing, reading my mind, it's considered rude where I come from."

She cocked her head at him again. "_How else can I talk to you? I've not talked to anyone for a long time._"

"You have my permission to speak to me," Kakashi clarified, "but stop looking for answers before I want to give them. And… who is Kaito?" He was pretty sure he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her.

"_Your student_," she replied, looking at him like he was crazy. She pointed towards the azure sky through the ceiling of the cavern. "_The one who makes ink fly._"

A lone, slender eyebrow arched. That was an interesting way of putting it. Kakashi supposed Sai's singular jutsu would be somewhat magical in appearance to someone who'd never seen shinobi in action. "Do you know his full name?"

"_Sai, Kenshin, Yori, Takumi, Ryuu, Haru, Uchiha Kaito_," she listed off. "_He has so many names. I like Haru best. That was the name of this person_," she added, gesturing towards herself.

Kakashi's brow crinkled. _Uchiha_. That's what he thought. His reflection was brief, however, as she piqued his curiosity. "Haru, huh? And who was she?"

"Daughter of Hagoromo," she said with a shrug. "His most beautiful person."

_Not Daughter of Kaguya like Hinata? Wait_… "Do you mean the _actual_ daughter of the Rikudō Sennin?" Kakashi asked. "There wasn't one, only the two sons."

She shook her head. "_Haru was first, but death didn't go away for her._"

Though it was inconsequential at this point considering they were discussing people who died eons ago, Kakashi couldn't help but sate his curiosity. "So, he had a daughter named Haru, but she died when she looked like you do now, when she was young?"

"_I look like her, yes_," she said with a firm, childish nod. "_But I can look like anything_." To prove her point, she transformed into Manami-sama again, and his shirt rode up her thighs. Her long strands of shells and pearls gathered in her lap. "_This is what you find most beautiful. You saw it in a book once, and thought she was the most exquisite thing you'd ever seen._"

In truth, Kakashi had forgotten all about that book of his mother's. She'd had a large collection of old texts, ones his father's mother had given her, supposedly passed down for generations. Kakashi tended to not keep any sentimental possessions at his apartment, aside from one precious photograph. The books had been locked away in storage years ago. With the destruction of the village, they were probably buried under a mountain of rubble now.

"Are you able to do that, but with clothes?" Kakashi asked with a small smile beneath his bandages. "I'd rather have my shirt back, but I also prefer you to not be naked."

"_Clothes_?" Her expression was entirely perplexed, her pupil-less blue eyes dropping to her folded legs. "_But I'm not cold_."

"Humor me," Kakashi said flatly.

She released his hand and stood up, yanking the shirt over her head. Kakashi tried and failed to look away, his eyes impulsively wandering over the curve of her torso, the path the beads took as they ran along the smooth skin of her breasts, stumbling over her nipples. She dropped his shirt beside him and her form flickered briefly, then she was clad in a pale blue haori that didn't reach her knees, a white sash at her waist. The haori fluttered in the breeze, and Kakashi could still see the smooth, split center between her legs, as it was at his eye-level to where he sat in the soft grass. It was almost unfair how enticing she was, and without any effort.

"That's not enough," he said, averting his eyes and reaching to put his shirt back on.

After a moment, she touched him on the shoulder as he adjusted his clothes. He looked up, then immediately stood and turned to face her. She was dressed finer than any princess. Her silk furisode kimono was pale green with a pattern of silver koi and pink water lilies at the sleeves and hem. Her obi was white with pearls sewn into the edges, and her shimmering silver sash was lavish with dangling beads of jade and abalone. Around her neck hung several long strands of pearls and jade beads, her intricate headdress and long earrings matching the opulent display. Her look was only made incongruent by her exposed bare feet and unfettered, thick hair that glistened like the pearls and abalone it seemed spun from. It was familiar to him, this iridescent glorious form, and he decided it must be from one of the books he could barely remember.

_We'll be robbed by highwaymen for sure_, he thought to himself, then wondered at the idea. Surely he had no intention of bringing her back with him. There was no need. This had been a wild goose chase. Unless…

"You look very nice," Kakashi offered uselessly, then reached out and took her wrist between his fingers so she could understand him. Touch seemed to be the necessary trigger for their conversation and not contact with the face or head as he'd assumed at first. "I don't suppose you can guess why we came here?"

The Manami-creature pointed towards the scrolls with her free hand. "_Because Hagoromo has finally sent for me. He told me to be patient, and I have been. I did almost leave once, but I became frightened and it wasn't the right time, so please don't tell him. I want my reward."_

Kakashi had no idea what she was on about as the Rikudō Sennin was long dead, but she did seem to understand the scrolls were important, so he addressed that. "What can you tell me about these?"

She pulled back her hand and went onto her knees on the grass, hiking up her furisode. One scroll she rolled out, then tossed it aside with a muttering of something he didn't understand. A brief glance told him it was the map scroll. The next scroll she unrolled was one he had only glanced at. The language was so ancient; he couldn't read it so it wasn't important to him. She began speaking to him in the old dialect again, then frowned and grabbed his hand, tugging him closer. He lowered himself into a low crouch.

"_This tells the story of what happened to me_." The melodic voice in his head was almost reverent as she ran her fingers along the old text. "_Here is where the Shinju tried to obliterate the world. Here is where my… my lover fell into the abyss_." Her eyes dimmed slightly, losing focus. Then, to Kakashi's alarm, her expression exemplified wrath, her eyes widening, teeth clenching beneath her soft, pale cheek. It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and her eyes returned to the text, a smile curving the corner of her full lips. "_Here is where the Beast destroyed my beautiful home. And here… here is where Hagoromo saved me from myself and then created this place for me_."

There was a deeply unsettling aura to Manami-sama now, but Kakashi pushed on. He needed answers. "Why here? Why hidden away? Are you the guardian of the weapon he created?"

She crinkled her nose, then said, "_Forgive me_." Before he could ask the reason, she leaned closer to him and put her forehead against his, her eyes closed. Her icy breath caressed his mouth. It smelled of pomegranates and honey. "_You're here for a weapon. There is war. Always with humans there is war. You want to fight… Uchiha, the Son of Hagoromo who came here before. He didn't understand. None of you _want_ to understand! War is where death lives_." Manami-sama pulled back from him, tears at the corners of her eyes. She put a delicate fingertip between his eyebrows. "_I will not be your weapon. Regret chains me, grief buries me, hatred is the kunai death slits my insides open with to drink from. I have already supped from destruction's banquet table. Feed me any more, and know only ruin._"

That sounded pretty… grim. Yet eloquent—more fanciful than a child's mind could conceive. This shapeshifter was able to alter her personality as effortlessly as her form. It made her more unpredictable than Naruto. But his attention focused on the part in the middle. "Madara was here before? How long ago, do you remember?" Kakashi realized that part didn't matter, so he switched gears. "Why did you not leave with him?"

Her eyes softened, then she leaned back and sat on the grass, her legs reaching into the lake to dip her feet, wetting her kimono. Her back was to him as she gazed across the water at the cascade on the far side. Her small hand reached back and ran its digits along his ankle, prompting shivers up his spine. "_He knows my pain. Knows the pointlessness of war. How did he not understand? And why can't you understand each other? It's such a waste of the short time mortals have_." She sounded so despondent, a dramatic shift from the laughing child or the naïve goddess who cared only for beauty. "_You all misunderstand the texts. Hagoromo promised me that someday I would be free of myself, that one would come to unchain me. You are to save me, not I save you. If you cannot, then leave_."

"I see." Kakashi wasn't sure what to make of all of this. Should he persuade her to come or just leave? Tsunade-sama had enough on her plate without Kakashi bringing back a multiple-personality shapeshifter who might be a danger to the already struggling village. On the other hand, she might be an asset. It was just too soon to say. Was she unstable or just lacking social skills? "So if you are not a weapon, what are you?"

Her hand left his skin, leaving it surprisingly chilled. She rose to her feet and stepped into the lake, pulling her furisode up over her knees as she waded around in the water slowly, the beads of her headdress dancing about her face. Her head tilted back and her gaze fixed on the sky, as if searching for something.

Kakashi frowned and lifted himself to stand. Apparently, she wasn't going to answer him. At least not without prompting. He decided to stroll out on the surface of the water, coming to a stop next to her. He leaned over and placed one fingertip on the back of her porcelain hand. "What are you?"

She fell back in the water in eerie silence, the water swallowing her form without even a ripple. Manami-sama's eyes were fixed on Kakashi as she floated beneath the surface, ivory tendrils of hair snaking out like bleached kelp caught in an undercurrent. Her sleeves fanned out like wings, and if not for her open eyes searching his, she would have looked like a drowned wraith waiting for her next victim.

He knelt on one knee above her, placing his right hand atop the water's surface. She reached toward it, her gaze never wavering from his, and pressed her hand flat against his palm. Entranced by her, Kakashi's mind went momentarily blank. All he knew was silence and those melancholy eyes. She stirred in him a sense of awe and bewilderment, put him at ease and frightened him, and felt so familiar in movement and touch that it was akin to being welcomed home. He wanted to fall through the water to her and forget everything else in the world, but he was too disciplined to succumb to such follies of youth. _What are you?_ he repeated to himself after shaking off the temptations she manifested in his core.

"_I am sorrow_."

Before he could comprehend their silent exchange, she dissolved into dozens of white koi that swiftly skittered in all directions out of sight.

-O0O-

Author's Note: In case any of this is unclear, Kakashi is referring to Obito/Madara as this takes place before he learns the truth about him.


	8. Chapter 8

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 8

Author's note: I'm so glad y'all are liking this so far.

-O0O-

Brief recap:

He knelt on one knee above her, placing his right hand atop the water's surface. She reached toward it, her gaze never wavering from his, and pressed her hand flat against his palm. Entranced by her, Kakashi's mind went momentarily blank. All he knew was silence and those melancholy eyes. She stirred in him a sense of awe and bewilderment, put him at ease and frightened him, and felt so familiar in movement and touch that it was akin to being welcomed home. He wanted to fall through the water to her and forget everything else in the world, but he was too disciplined to succumb to such follies of youth. _What are you?_ he repeated to himself after shaking off the temptations she manifested in his core.

"_I am sorrow_."

Before he could comprehend their silent exchange, she dissolved into dozens of white koi that swiftly skittered in all directions out of sight.

-O0O-

Two hours passed. Kakashi leaned against an enormous sakura tree, one leg stretched out and the other bent for his wrist to rest upon. His gaze remained fixed on the water's surface, but only pale blossom petals disturbed it. As the sky changed colors above him, heralding the end of the day, hundreds of paper lanterns materialized to float over the lake which reflected their luminescence. They rose slowly into the air, rustling along the tips of the various flowering fruit trees that held both colorful blossoms and ripe fruit, ignoring the laws of nature.

A lesser man might have lost himself there. A beautiful woman, a gorgeous, clear lake, a gentle breeze that carried the intoxicating scent of a myriad of flowers, delicious fruit, the steady thunder of a waterfall, complete with a refreshing mist that occasionally skidded across his exposed skin—he'd never seen such a picturesque place in all his travels. It was too good to be real, and though he could detect no illusions, Kakashi was too unnerved by its perfection to accept it at face value.

He'd rolled up his sleeves to the elbow and tugged down his bandages, being the epitome of leisure as he crunched on a crisp, green apple. It was all external. Inside, Kakashi was frustrated and fretted over the mission. He could not _force_ Manami-sama to come with him. But even if he could, he didn't know if he should. To leave would be to abandon the mission before knowing with certainty it was fruitless, but he felt like he was wasting precious time better used in preparing for the war.

The scrolls were nestled in a row in the tall grass near him. She'd discarded the map as unimportant, and he supposed he could understand that. Who needs a map to where they already were? The scroll closest to him was the one that recorded her history. That was the one that held his curiosity most.

The third scroll was a mystery. It had what looked like seals, but they were incomplete to his single Sharingan and formed no configuration he'd ever seen. He hoped she would shed some light on it when she resurfaced.

From various heights, the paper lanterns began to expel sparks that exploded like tiny fireworks from their tops, yet they did not lose altitude or burn. The sparks turned into dancing fireflies, and the fireflies fragmented into shimmering dust that blew through the trees, rustling the sakura to shed petals down atop Kakashi. He braced himself for her appearance, but she didn't come.

Night came. Past the golden dim of the floating lanterns, he could see the stars twinkling in the sky's dark veil. He stretched out his body in the thick grass, closing his eyes as the rhythm of the swaying blades sang him to sleep.

_The temple was engulfed in flames. They had arrived too late. From miles away, they had seen the smoke and had already guessed at what they would find. The air was thick with smoke, but Kakashi could also smell the blood and death long before they reached the steps that led up the mountain. Ash fell like snow as they climbed the stairs, and Kakashi felt a stirring of guilt that he had failed in his first chūnin mission. Though he was only six, that did not make his regret any less valid._

_At the top of the stairs they found the first body. A monk, adorned in only his robe and prayer beads, lay on his side, his eyes staring off into the next world. Another one lay several yards away, towards the entrance to the burning temple. Kakashi doubted there would be many—if any—survivors. They spread out to search for the children, hoping they had been hidden away. Koyama Temple had long been a sanctuary for orphans._

_After a few minutes, one of his new teammates called out for him. Kakashi rushed to where he was, then stood, dumbfounded. Two bodies lay in front of him, both men bearing the mark of Iwagakure. To the left, his throat had been cut, and to the right, a kunai protruded from his eye socket. But neither body held his attention for more than half a second. Kakashi was focused on the brunette child, no more than four years old, wielding a tantō that dripped with blood. It was longer than he was tall._

_Wide eyes met Kakashi's, not afraid but challenging, and the child lifted the tantō as if daring Kakashi to attack him. Behind him were two more children; one was a boy of about eight in the arms of a girl who looked about fourteen. She knelt on the ground, her eyes wide and afraid, while the boy hung limp, his eyes closed._

_Kakashi held up his empty hands in a sign of compliance. "We're here to help y—"_

_The boy charged at him, jumping higher than Kakashi would have thought possible for one so young. He ducked and turned to meet him, but the boy simply sprung off his shoulder and dove towards a man in the shadows behind Kakashi. With a vicious swing, he slashed the man from collarbone to navel, the boy's bare feet sloshing in the gushing blood as he landed on the man's chest when he fell backwards. With a cry of rage, he lifted the tantō over his head and jammed it into the man's head._

Kakashi woke with a start. His lone, dark eye focused abruptly to see he was looking up at Manami's porcelain face from where he had rested. She was bent over him, his bandages twirling in her fingers, and belatedly he realized his head was resting in her lap. He glanced around and noted her opulent robes were spread several yards in all directions, as if she materialized beneath him as he slept.

He sat up and turned to face her, a blush threatening his cheeks, but he kept it at bay through sheer willpower. He reached out his hand. "May I have those back, please?"

She blinked at him, then handed them over wordlessly, dropping them in his palm.

As he began to wrap his face again, he offered a polite, "Good morning."

She just blinked at him again, tilting her head. Her shape fluttered, and the abundant robes transfigured into the furisode kimono she'd worn the day before. She held out her hand to him, and after a beat, he offered his. "_Why do you wear those_?"

Kakashi didn't have a good reason. He was well-aware that his penchant for keeping his face covered was a topic of discussion among those who had never seen it, but he never really gave much thought to it. He liked the warmth and comfort of it, and that was really all there was to it. He supposed, once upon a time when he was the youngest chūnin around, he started wearing the mask to disguise how young he was, but that was folly. His height gave that away. Now he was one of the tallest shinobi in the village.

"I just do," he replied with a shrug, not finding it a subject worth discussing. He let his eye wander around again, noting the absence of lanterns. All that remained where a few dozen floating above their immediate vicinity. The rest of the cavern was dark, and the stars were more visible than before. He released her hand and walked over to the lake, refilling his bottle to take a drink. Instead of returning to her, he settled himself against the large sakura tree, setting his bottle beside him.

She didn't approach him. Just one instant she was sitting a few yards away, the next she was on her stomach in front of him, her head held up by the palms of her hands, her elbows planted against the tall grass. It wasn't the body flicker technique. It looked more like she just wished it and it happened. One hand reached out and touched his ankle. "_What happened to him isn't your fault. Do you think he blames you?_"

It was Kakashi's turn to blink. "Who?"

"_Daichi_," she replied with a frown. "_Do you know no one's name? The boy you were thinking about_."

"First of all, I wasn't thinking about him; I was dreaming about him," Kakashi said, crossing his arms loosely against his chest. "And secondly, I told you once already, reading people's minds is considered rude." _So his name was Daichi once?_ Kakashi sighed. No, he supposed he didn't know anyone's name anymore. Next, he'd find out Gai is really Yuudai or something. "How do you know his name, anyway? You can't have read _his_ mind."

"_It's in yours. You know it, but you must have forgotten_."

Kakashi arched a brow. He found that pretty hard to believe. He was pretty good with names, definitely better than Gai was. When was there ever a time for him to hear that name? Perhaps… well, maybe the girl had said it once, if he wasn't paying her any attention and she'd been speaking directly to— "So, even if I don't remember something, you can still see it?"

"_Everything. I know everything you know._"

That was a very bad thing to admit to a shinobi as experienced and knowledgeable as Kakashi. She was now officially a threat to the village. The problem was, what could he do about it? He was under orders to destroy the 'weapon' if he couldn't bring it back, but he hadn't the foggiest clue as to how to accomplish that.

"_You can't kill me. You are no more a threat to me than an ant is to the sun_."

"What? I couldn't be a flower or a bird in that scenario?" Kakashi asked with a small smile she probably couldn't see through the bandages. In truth, he was flummoxed at the fact she was reading his mind without permission, even with him asking her to stop. "An ant makes me sound so insignificant."

"_You are_." She burst into sakura petals and washed over him, dancing up into the sky above the lanterns. "_Everything is_."

-O0O-

Kakashi couldn't remember the last stint he had so much idle time on his hands. Normally, he would just read a book, but all he had were three unreadable scrolls. The sky above him remained twinkled with stars, so he supposed dawn was still a long way off. At no point had he seen the moon, or even had a hint of its light. Perhaps it had passed over while he slept.

"_Your moon is not allowed here_."

Limbs twitched at the sudden voice in his head. "Where are you?" he demanded, looking around and seeing nothing, then felt pressure at the back of his head. He turned to see her materializing out of the tree, much like a fellow shinobi had a penchant for doing. Kakashi scooted backwards as she stepped out onto the grass he'd been sitting on. She settled herself in the trampled grass, cocking her head like a curious bird.

Kakashi wasn't sure what to do. He needed to know more about her, but she spoke in riddles and truths only she understood. He crawled over to sit between her and the scrolls, then handed one of them to her.

The shapeshifter unfurled it, then gave him a questioning look. When he held out his hand, she reached to touch a fingertip to his palm.

"Read me your story, Manami-sama," Kakashi said kindly.

She closed her eyes and exhaled. "_What is the trade?_"

"Trade?"

"_You want something for nothing?_"

Kakashi could see her point. If he was as insignificant as an ant to her, what was her motivation to acquiesce to his request? But what could he possibly offer a being such as herself?

"I will offer anything it is within my power to do," Kakashi replied. "So long as it is reasonable."

"_Agreed_."

"Wait, what am I agreeing to?"

"_I haven't decided yet_." With that, she stretched out on the grass in front of him and lay a shin across his ankle. She unrolled the scroll and began to read.

-O0O-

Author's Note: Her story is kind of long, so we'll get to that next chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 9

Author's note: For those silent readers, I appreciate your support even when you say nothing. Just knowing people are reading helps me keep going!

-O0O-

Brief recap:

"I will offer anything it is within my power to do," Kakashi replied. "So long as it is reasonable."

"_Agreed_."

"Wait, what am I agreeing to?"

"_I haven't decided yet_." With that, she stretched out on the grass in front of him and lay her shin across his ankle. She unrolled the scroll and began to read.

-O0O-

_Once, there was a great island to the northeast of Ogashima. This island was named Shikotan, and was filled with vast mountain ranges whose many thunderstorms produced frightening amounts of lightning. From these mountain ranges, many rivers flowed into the sea, creating a crooked coastline that displayed an extraordinary oceanic beauty. _

_Protecting this island from invaders was the radiant goddess, Manami. Generous and kind, she conveyed travelers through calm seas, made the catch bountiful for the fishermen, and brought only gentle storms to the northern shores of Ogashima and southern shores of Shikotan._

Kakashi listened, trying to fill in the gaps with what he knew of their history. Long ago, the Land of Fire was called Ogashima, but it also included lands to the northeast toward the Land of Lightning, which used to be called Shikotan, but he'd never heard it was once an island.

"When we met, you said you thought your name was Akitsu, but if this is your story, it means you _are_ Manami-sama," Kakashi stated, but tilted his head questioningly.

"_To see this, I am reminded of me. I lost me long ago_." Manami-sama ran her fingers along the words on the scroll. "_Akitsu was my name long, long ago. Before the wind, before the sky. I was only water then. I will read to you so you understand._"

"Fair enough," Kakashi agreed, closing his eye and leaning back against the tree.

_On the shores of Ogashima lay a prosperous village, Ishigaki. It was protected by Hideyoshi, the great Inugami yōkai known for his uncommon loyalty and bravery. He was once a man, struck down in his prime, but the noble god Mizuki took pity on him and resurrected him to protect his village. But Mizuki warned Hideyoshi that his love must be only for his people. If he were to ever fall in love, upon his death he would curse his beloved with the true nature of Inugami, one who is blinded by desire for revenge and unstoppable rage._

_Hideyoshi followed Mizuki's will for generations, helping Ishigaki prosper and defending it from invaders. But one day, by chance, he met Manami on the shores of his home, and his heart ran away without his permission. The two of them became lovers, and they began to have eyes only for each other, neglecting Ishigaki and Shikotan._

Manami-sama paused and Kakashi opened his eyes. She was looking up at him, her eyes swimming in unshed tears. He already knew how the story would end. She'd told him that her lover had 'fallen into the abyss,' so he assumed that meant he perished. It didn't take a genius to know what probably happened to Manami-sama after that, but he had no intention of telling her to stop reading. The two of them regarded each other silently for a moment, no doubt because she was reading his mind again, then she continued with the story.

_In the seventy-second year of Aragusuku, a great tremble was felt across the earth. The Shinju transformed into a monstrous form in an attempt to reclaim its stolen power from Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo. The furious Beast rampaged throughout the lands, tearing the world asunder. Manami's ocean was destroyed, the seabed brought to the surface, the water washing away coastal villages for many miles in all directions and brought Shikotan together with Ogashima._

_Hideyoshi had stood his ground as the water came, putting himself between its merciless tidal wave and his beloved Ishigaki, yet the yōkai was powerless against such forces. He saw his village wash away beneath Manami's unbridled water, and swore vengeance on the Shinju._

_Though he fought with valor and honor, Hideyoshi was struck down by the Beast, his body torn apart and thrown by pieces into an abyss that led to the fiery underbelly of the world. Hagoromo then came and defeated the Beast and sealed it within himself and separated its chakra from its body, tossing the husk into the sky to become the moon._

_Lost to the curse at the death of Hideyoshi, Manami's thirst for vengeance brought the oceans crashing across the earth as she tossed them endlessly towards the moon, enraged that the Beast's corpse held sway over the waves that endlessly struck at the raised seabed that had been her home. Yet the waters she used were not her own, and she angered the other ocean gods with her trespasses. _

_Hagoromo, having taken pity on Manami for the destruction of her beloved strip of ocean and the loss of Hideyoshi, stepped in to sooth her fury. For many days and nights their conflict raged, transforming the landscape. At last, both of them spent from the fight, Hagoromo's words reached Manami as she lie trembling with tears. He promised to restore Hideyoshi to her when the stars aligned properly for him to do so, and all she need do was wait. He built for her a sequestered haven, one free of the moon's path through the sky, and endless water to soak in until she felt the pain wash away._

_There she waits until the promise is fulfilled and she receives her reward for her patience._

Kakashi fought against the frown that wanted to form. How on earth did the Intelligence Division's translators get 'weapon' from _that_? He would need to have a talk with Tsunade-sama when he got home. "It doesn't seem to have been written by the Rikudō Sennin. And there is no mention of 'Akitsu' as you said there would be."

She shrugged and rolled the scroll back up. "_Hagoromo did not know Akitsu. He only knew Manami. I became Manami through Hideyoshi. He named me thus because of his love for me, and I much preferred it to my old name_."

"Well, it's more fitting," Kakashi agreed with a smile. 'Manami' could be interpreted as 'love' for either 'the beautiful' or 'ocean,' both of which would apply to Manami. "And that's the name my people knew you as. I don't remember much about the folktale, I'm afraid. It's been too long since I've read about you."

"_And your name means 'scarecrow,' Kakashi-bo_," Manami-sama said. "_It doesn't seem to fit you. Is there some meaning behind it?_"

Kakashi blinked at her address of him. It was the first time she'd used his name in a familiar way, and the first time he could recall _anyone_ referring to him as 'bo.' He was not a baby by any stretch of the imagination, but perhaps to her eyes, he was. "None that I know of," he replied, which was true. He'd never had a chance to ask either of his parents what they were thinking when they named him. "Maybe they wanted me to be a farmer," he said more to himself than her as he lifted himself off the ground to stretch his legs.

At that point, Kakashi was fairly certain he should be working on a way out. Manami-sama was fascinating, but he had a duty to the village and needed to return home. He was worried for Hinata as well and wanted to know how she was doing. It was a waste for the village that their mission was unnecessary, but it did him some good to have time to rest. He would be more rejuvenated for the coming war.

He glanced back over his shoulder at the divine being he'd come to know. He felt bad for leaving her behind in solitude once more, but there was nothing he could do for her. She was waiting for the Rikudō Sennin who was long dead. Her 'reward' would never come, and he didn't have the heart to say as much. He just hoped she didn't peel it from his mind as she did everything else. Kakashi didn't know what he should do about the scrolls. Perhaps they should be locked away again, as forgotten as she had been. Which reminded him…

He stepped over to the third scroll and held it out to her. When she lifted her hand, he placed one finger on it. "Can you read this to me, too?"

She nodded and took it from him, so he settled back onto the grass and moved his ankle against her leg. Manami-sama unrolled the scroll, a frown instantly appearing, then threw the scroll at Kakashi, who failed to duck away before it thumped against his chest. She burst into a torrent of butterflies, swarming around him rapidly.

"_Hateful! Deceivers!_"

The swarm moved away from him abruptly, crashing into the stone of the cavern, bouncing from wall to wall reminiscent of Kiba's attack technique. He could hear her furious voice echoing in the darkness, but without her touch, Kakashi had no idea what she was saying. He rolled up the scroll and tucked it back into his shirt, deciding it wasn't safe to leave it just laying out in the open if it could reduce her to such a state. He went ahead and grabbed the other two scrolls as well, tucking them in with the other one.

It was definitely time to go. The way he had come in was now blocked off by the collapsed tunnel, but Kakashi supposed he could walk up the stone wall and climb out the hole Sai had used. Yet, Sai had Hinata with him when he left, and Kakashi was half-sure he'd need a Byakugan user to get out that way. Well, it wouldn't hurt to try.

"Manami-sama!" he called out. Kakashi knew she wouldn't understand a word he was about to say, but he couldn't just go without trying to say goodbye. "I'm leaving now. It was truly a pleasure to meet you. I only wish we had more time. Sayonara."

He headed towards the nearest wall, regretful to leave such a beautiful place. Perhaps someday he could return, after the war was over. He had no doubt she would still be here. With a glance towards the top of the cavern, he could see the first hues of pink and orange spreading across the sky. Dawn was either near or had already arrived. If he hurried, he should make it home by tomorrow evening.

Half-way up the wall, Manami-sama appeared above him abruptly, pressing her hand against his chest. Her long hair fell upon his shoulders. "_Where are you going?_"

"Home," he replied flatly. "You know a war is coming, and my people need me."

Manami-sama cocked her head at him. The beads that hung from her headdress rattled against each other. "_They are not your people. Death stole away your people long ago._"

Kakashi frowned. He wrapped his fingers around hers and pulled her hand off of his chest. "I have new people now, and they are counting on me."

She gave him a very disbelieving look, then looked down at their hands. "_You made me a promise, Hatake Kakashi-bo. Are you not going to honor it?_"

His fingers reflexively tightened around hers. "Of course I am. After the war—"

"_Do not ask me to wait. War is always. Your war means nothing to_…" she trailed off, her eyes going wide. "_Tsuki no Me Keikaku! He's going to revive the Beast? He can't!_"

"I agree, that's why I have to go," Kakashi reasoned. "We need to stop him. That's what this war is about."

"_Is it?_" Before he could reply, she stepped forward and pressed her forehead to his again, her eyes closed. The other times she'd peeked into his mind, she did so without him sensing anything at all. This time, hundreds of images flashed through his mind rapidly. It was painful and invasive. He tried to pull back, but she held him tightly by his arms, her fingertips clenched into his flesh. Kakashi was powerless against her grip.

She pulled back suddenly, her features twisted in fury. "_I am not a 'weapon.' I am a 'bringer of death.' No one can wield me, and I yield for none. Do not forget this, Kakashi-bo. I am cursed until I am saved. Hagoromo has deceived me!_" Manami pulled open Kakashi's shirt and grabbed the mysterious scroll, tossing it into the lake below them. "_I will not let you kill me._"

Kakashi blinked in confusion, glancing down at the ripples created by the now-sinking scroll. Was that what was on it—a way to destroy her?

"_Our trade is decided._"

His gaze returned to the incensed creature above him. Hesitant to know the answer, Kakashi couldn't help but ask, "Oh? What is it you want from me?"

"_You are taking me with you. I cannot leave without a child of Hagoromo. I read you my story, now you're going to open the door for me. It is a fair trade._"

A fair trade? Kakashi doubted that. In fact, he was almost certain that letting this creature out would be a grave mistake. While he could not deny she was powerful, he had serious doubts she would be a trustworthy ally. She had practically admitted as much.

He was still trying to decide how to answer her when the decision was promptly removed from him altogether. He was at her mercy when she transfigured into her dragon form and coiled around him tightly, flying out the hole in the cavern ceiling into the dawn's golden light.

-O0O-

Author's Note: Inugami are dog yōkai (demons) in Japanese folklore. "Inugami are evoked for criminal activities, such as murdering, kidnapping and mutilation of the victims. If the evoker is perfectly trained, he can order his Inugami to possess humans and manipulate them. The victim is often forced to kill itself or other people, or to act like a lunatic. But Inugami are also said to be very dangerous for the evoker himself: since the Inugami´s soul is blinded by its desire for revenge and its unstoppable rage, the Inugami can quickly escape the master´s control and kill his own evoker."

So, basically, Manami has been cursed to behave like this after Hideyoshi's death, and the Sage of the Six Paths sealed her in the cave to protect the world from her wrath, hoping a few hundred years of solitude might calm her down ;-)


	10. Chapter 10

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 10

Brief recap:

A fair trade? Kakashi doubted that. In fact, he was almost certain that letting this creature out would be a grave mistake. While he could not deny she was powerful, he had serious doubts she would be a trustworthy ally. She had practically admitted as much.

He was still trying to decide how to answer her when the decision was promptly removed from him altogether. He was at her mercy when she transfigured into her dragon form and coiled around him tightly, flying out the hole in the cavern ceiling into the dawn's golden light.

-O0O-

Kakashi clung to the shell-like scales of the dragon that carried him up into the clouds. He had never been this high off the ground before, and part of him wanted to enjoy the wind in his hair and the way his shadow danced along the clouds below him instead of the reverse as it had been his entire life. But he was too petrified to enjoy it. Now that she was out, did she even need him anymore? She might drop him at any moment, and he would be nothing but a blood smear and shattered flesh along some stretch of rocks. That is, if he didn't wind up impaled on a tree.

"_I'm not going to drop you, deceitful human_," Manami-sama said in his head, not looking at him.

"Where are we going?" Kakashi asked. It seemed a reasonable question. Wherever she intended to go, he'd have to figure out how to get home from there.

Instead of answering him, she dropped out of the clouds and plummeted towards the earth. Kakashi doubted his hands could grip any tighter, his knuckles aching with the effort. The wind roared past his ears and his bandages flew away from his face. His eye patch was but a memory. Part of him really wanted to let loose with a scream, but he bit it back as the world rushed towards him in a blur. Abruptly she halted, and they coasted gently the last several yards to land with a soft whispering of grass. Kakashi's insides twisted and threatened to retch.

She released him, and his feet landed with shaky legs. Kakashi dropped to one knee and let his body collect itself. "Where are we?" he asked at last, embarrassed of how it came out as more of a gasp. Belatedly, he realized they were no longer touching so couldn't communicate, but he was feeling a little petulant and wasn't in a rush for contact with her again. He took a moment to get his bearings and look for recognizable landmarks. A few feet away, she transformed into her usual self, only wearing the garb of a Konohagakure shinobi, complete with a headband that she wore strapped to her slender thigh.

"No one is going to buy that getup," Kakashi remarked with an arched brow. "And it's a little insulting to boot."

Manami-sama crinkled her nose as she looked down at herself. Perhaps his tone conveyed what his words could not. She stepped over to him and put a hand on top of his hair. She transformed many times into various garb, some of it not intended to be worn in public by the average human female, which made Kakashi avert his eyes. She paused in clothing that greatly resembled Tsunade-sama's. He shook his head. "I doubt you can walk in those heels." She tried again, and he winced when she opted for an Akatsuki robe. Eventually, she settled on a short-sleeved, calf-length green kimono patterned with silver and pink water lilies with a darker pink sash at her waist and simple sandals that tied around her delicate ankles. Her hair was both hanging loose and braided in various places, strewn with strings of pearls and shells.

"You just gotta be you, right?" he asked with a smirk, then rose to his feet as her hand fell away from his head. He recognized the forest to the south as the one they had traveled through recently, so without a by-your-leave, he headed that direction. She followed him.

Kakashi wanted to travel faster, through the trees, but he didn't know how she'd react if he started bounding away. He knew his regular attire, along with his subordinates' things, was nearby, so he headed there to change and figure out his next move. When they reached the tree, he extracted what had been left, then headed behind the bushes with a quick, "Be right back."

No sooner had he tossed the remaining scrolls on the ground and pulled his shirt off, he heard rustling in the branches behind him. He turned to see Manami-sama standing there, a passive expression on her face. "Right, you have boundary issues," Kakashi said, grabbing his masked shirt and slipping it over his head. He promptly fixed himself into his familiar clothing and stuffed the scrolls into his flak jacket.

"Look," he began, then stepped closer and rested his thumb against her bare arm. "Look, I need to get home faster than walking is going to accomplish that. And… I'm not really clear on this part—are you coming with me?"

"_I am going where you are going_," Manami-sama replied, cocking her head at him in her customary curious-bird expression. "_My home is gone. Where else do I go?_"

Frankly, she seemed so hell-bent to stop Madara, he expected her to charge at him full-force. This reliance on him was unnecessary as far as he was concerned. If she could stop Madara, more power to her. They'd throw her a feast in gratitude. However, he wasn't convinced she was a reliable ally. She could be a danger to the village instead of a boon. "No offense, but why are you coming with me? Didn't you have… unfinished business to take care of?"

"_I am to what? Wander aimlessly looking for the enemy? I will find him when you have your war, so I will come with you when it is time_." She reached up a hand to his mask, running a fingertip along the edge of his exposed skin beneath his eye. Her eyes were suddenly sad. "_Death lives there. I will hide you if it sets its eyes upon you_."

He gave her a reassuring smile under his mask. "Believe it or not, I can hold my own in a fight. I appreciate the offer, though." Kakashi was touched by her concern for him, but he didn't take it to heart. She was capricious in her ways, and in five minutes' time, she could start railing at him again. He bent over and picked up Sai and Hinata's things, then laid his thumb against her pale hand. "But we're still back to the issue of time. I can't simply walk home. I need to hurry. Can you travel faster—without turning into a dragon that will frighten my village?"

She smiled brightly. "_Yes_!"

The ground shook and a giant red flower emerged from beneath them, swallowing them in its large, soft petals. Alarmed, Kakashi tried to free himself, but the petals wouldn't budge. They were engulfed in darkness, pressed against each other. "What is this?" he demanded.

"_Faster travel_," Manami-sama replied merrily. "_We'll be there soon._"

'Soon' was a relative term. That could be hours for him or centuries for her. "Could you be more specific?"

"_In just a moment_."

Again, a relative term. "It's a bit… confined in here. Do I have enough air?" Kakashi rather doubted she needed air to survive, but it was pretty detrimental to his existence. He tried to stretch out a bit to determine how much area they actually had, but it was no use. He considered asking her if she would shrink to something smaller for the duration of their trip.

His worrying amounted to nothing. Kakashi squinted at the abrupt light that assaulted his vision, and as the petals fell away, he saw the great doors of Konohagakure gate. Before him stood Izumo and Kotetsu on duty. Their mouths were understandably agape.

"Good morning!" Kakashi said cheerily, giving them a wave as he tried to step with nonchalance past them, Manami-sama at his heels.

Kotetsu was the first to collect himself. "Morning," he said, arching a brow at Kakashi, a question evident in his features. "Interesting mission?"

"Very. I'm off to see Tsunade-sama. You two stay out of trouble now."

Manami-sama, unable to understand them, stepped closer to Kakashi and slid her hand into his, wrapping her tiny digits around it. "_What do they want?_"

Kakashi did not miss the way the two chūnin looked at them. No doubt, the gossip would start within the hour. He looked down at her and smiled. "It's okay. They're friendly fellows." He didn't want to appear to be having a one-sided conversation, so he kept walking.

-O0O-

As Kakashi strode down Konohagakure's dirt streets, he silently lamented her destruction. The reconstruction seemed to have come to a complete standstill compared to how much had been done with Tenzō's assistance. Kakashi had always been impressed at how the younger man could create a two-story building within moments that would take a dozen people days or even weeks to build.

"_He is important to you?_" Manami-sama asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

With the idea of looking strange in front of the villagers if he had a one-sided external conversation with her, Kakashi attempted to speak to her mentally as she did him. "_He's my friend, yeah_." His brow crinkled, and he added, "_Please stop reading my mind all the time. Talk to me, but don't treat me like a book_."

"_I will try not to_," Manami-sama said with a small sigh, then began to swing their joined hands lightly. "_But your thoughts are like a sweet melody to me. They are hard to ignore_."

Kakashi glanced down at her with an arched brow. That was an unexpected—if weird—compliment. He almost opened his mouth out of habit to reply, but the call of his name derailed his thoughts. He stopped and turned to see Shikamaru walking towards him.

"You're up early," Kakashi remarked.

"This is normal for me since the preparations for the war began," Shikamaru shrugged. He glanced at Manami-sama beside Kakashi and lifted his eyebrows, as if waiting for an introduction. When none came, he gave her a small wave and said, "I'm Nara Shikamaru. And you are?"

Manami-sama looked from Shikamaru to Kakashi, then back to Shikamaru. She reached out for the young man's hand with her free one, but the one Kakashi held melted away as she transformed into Temari-san of the Sand. Luckily, this time she opted to not be naked.

Shikamaru's eyes widened and he pulled from her grasp. "Uh… uh…" His alarmed gaze landed on Kakashi as he took a step back.

"It's all right, Shikamaru," Kakashi soothed. "It's sort of her way of saying hello." He took Manami-sama's hand and pulled her back to him. "_Don't do that. It makes people… uncomfortable. Just be yourself_."

She looked up at him with confusion evident in Temari-san's eyes, but she quickly returned to her former shape. Her attention then turned to Shikamaru and she repeated her mistake of trying to talk to him without physical contact, but Kakashi could hear her thinking, "_It's strange for you to think her form is more beautiful when covered up. Or have you never seen her at her most beautiful?_"

Kakashi coughed nervously and said to Shikamaru, "She isn't from around here."

Shikamaru's eyes were fixed on Manami-sama when he answered Kakashi with a sardonic, "No kidding." He shoved his hands into his pockets and said, "Well, I'm off to find Chōji. See you around, Kakashi-sensei and… yeah." With that, he turned and strolled off down the street, little plumes of dust kicking up under his sandals.

Kakashi and Manami-sama continued their trek through the village, him pausing to ask one person or another if they knew where Tsunade-sama was. As they neared the tent the Hokage's office was stationed in, Kakashi paused. "_Please don't change shape for a while. Let people get used to you looking like this. We—humans—need... continuity when we are with other people. And… it's probably none of my business, but back there you said Shikamaru's never seen Temari-san naked. So does that mean that Sai_…" He couldn't finish the question. Kakashi decided he didn't really want to know.

Yet, just because he didn't want to convey a thought, that didn't mean Manami-sama wouldn't hear it. "_Kaito had never seen her true beauty, but she had. I borrowed her thoughts to show him what he had only imagined_."

That made sense, he supposed. But it also brought up another very important subject. "_Another thing I need to ask. Call it a favor. Don't tell Kaito that name, okay? He is happy being Sai_."

Manami frowned up at him. "_I do not lie_. _That is a human folly._"

Kakashi sighed and dropped his head. He wasn't sure how to explain it, and he didn't have a lot of time to do it. He needed to see Tsunade-sama then go check on Hinata and return his subordinates' things he still carried. "_Look, I'm not asking you to lie. Just don't call him Uchiha Kaito. You can call him by Sai or even tell him his other names if he wants to remember them—if he forgot. I just need you to keep that first one to yourself. Just for now. Just until I have a chance to talk to him, okay?_"

She regarded him for long moment, her eyes searching his, but for what he didn't know. He was about to ask her if she understood him when she said, "_It will upset him, this name? You are worried that he will take it badly, that he will resent Danzō and Root, that he might go down a wrong path like your other student Uchiha, like the Uchiha who wants war_."

"_In a nutshell, yeah_," Kakashi replied frankly. "_One's past can be… painful. I need to discover Sai's—Kaito's—before he learns the truth. Half of a truth can be more devastating than the whole. In order for him to know who he truly is, I need to find out first_." Which is why he hoped the Intelligence Division still had their records intact. Otherwise, finding the truth will be a lengthy endeavor that may turn out fruitless in the end.

-O0O-

Author's Note: Thanks for reading so far! I hope parts of this were at least mildly amusing.


	11. Chapter 11

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 11

Author's note: Time to check in on Sai…

-O0O-

Brief recap of last Sai scene:

"Whatever you're going to quote me, don't," Kakashi warned, his eyes darkening. "I'm not in danger, Hinata is. You're not abandoning me, you're saving _her_. Go!"

Sai frowned at him, and looked like he had something more to say, but instead shook his head and whipped out his scroll and brush. An enormous bird erupted from it, and Sai hastily put his shirt back before he jumped astride the animal, Hinata in his arms. He held her tightly against his chest as the two of them soared into the air, and Kakashi _almost_ held his breath as they flew out the top of the cavern, _almost_ afraid that the barrier would throw them back down into the lake.

But something told him the barriers weren't a problem for Sai anymore.

-O0O-

Sai had travelled as fast as he dared, soaring high above the clouds where it was infinitely colder, but kept them out of range for most any attack. Sometimes, he would speak to Hinata-san, but she remained limp and unconscious in his arms. He held her tight against him, trying to keep her as warm as he could. They were both chilled from the lake, however, and he doubted his slender body offered her much heat.

When the village at last came into view, he instructed the bird to go towards the hospital. He couldn't explain how this part of his jutsu worked. He just willed the beast to behave a certain way or perform a task and it did. As they descended to the grass in front of the newly-constructed hospital, Sai slid his arms beneath Hinata-san to carry and released his jutsu, landing in perfect form with a slight kneel. He immediately dashed into the hospital, calling out for Sakura with the hopes that she was there.

She poked her head out of a doorway, and when she spotted him and the girl in his arms, she came rushing over. "Sai! What happened?" Before he could give a reply, she was gesturing him to carry Hinata-san into the nearest room.

"We were on a mission and she… fell." Suddenly, Sai was extremely reluctant to give any details about Hinata-san's injury. He gently settled Hinata into the bed. "She struck her head and was conscious for a brief moment, then closed her eyes and won't wake up. Oh, and she almost drowned."

Sakura arched a brow at that. "Which happened first?"

"Sort of… both?" Sai replied uncertainly. He really didn't want to mention the creature in the cave or any single second of his behavior. "She was… surprised. Then fell and hit her head and rolled off a cliff into a lake, and that's when she almost drowned."

"A cliff?" Sakura repeated dumbly as she reached for bandages and water. She pushed Hinata-san's hair back and began to wash the blood off her face. "She still smells like lake water," she mumbled, glancing at Hinata-san's filthy ivory shirt with a wrinkled brow. "I'm going to need you to get out, Sai. We need to get these clothes off, clean her up, and look for any other missed injuries. You can wait outside, if you want."

A tiny voice in his head suggested it would be pointless since he'd already seen Hinata-san naked, but he had no intention of admitting that fact to anyone for the rest of his life. No matter what. Period. Hopefully Hinata-san would do the same. If she was okay, that is. And she would be. Sai had confidence in Sakura's abilities as a medical nin.

He did as he was told and went out to the hallway to wait. At first, Sai just paced. He was of no mind to have a seat since he'd been sitting for hours. Eventually, he just leaned back against the wall with his arms folded against his chest. He considered alerting Tsunade-sama of their return, but he was reluctant to explain where Kakashi-sensei was, so he procrastinated. Then Sakura came out and said something that both ended his procrastination and created a hole in his confidence in Sakura's abilities.

"I'm going to need Tsunade-sama. Hinata is… worse than I thought. Can you please find her?" Sakura didn't wait for a response before she headed back into the room, leaving a stunned Sai to blink at her.

He promptly extracted his scroll and sent a messenger bird, one that would find the Hokage far faster than he could accomplish on foot. It occurred to him that he had also read in a book once that when family members are in trouble, the rest of the family appreciates being informed. So, without hesitation, he sent a messenger bird to Hyuga-sama as well. He had to keep himself from apologizing profusely as the blame was clearly at his feet. Instead, he just kept it simple and informed Hinata-san's father of her condition and location.

Now, left to his own devices, he knew he was free to do what he wanted. Hinata-san was being tended to, Tsunade-sama was coming to care for her, Hinata-san's family was informed… there was nothing he could do. Remaining in the hallway was not a productive activity, and he required a bath as much as Hinata-san did. He also had a report to give to Tsunade-sama and should not report in his current disheveled condition.

But he couldn't get himself to leave. His feet simply wouldn't allow it.

-O0O-

Tsunade sat at her desk in the assigned Hokage tent, poring over papers on her desk. The village was being rebuilt, but at great expense. Granted, when Yamato was still there, the construction was done for free, but now he was needed elsewhere. It was a loss to the village, but it would be worse for the entire ninja world if Yamato was not with Naruto to keep him under both supervision and control, should the Kyuubi manifest itself again. She had made only one request before he left—build the hospital. The health of the villagers was far more important than rebuilding any other structure.

While she had been unconscious, Danzo had put the importance on commerce and housing, and that was foolishness. The people could reconstruct their homes with the right supplies and tools, and it kept their hands from being idle. Idleness led to poor decision making, and she didn't need any new internal conflicts in the village when she had the responsibility of thinking of the safety of their entire world.

A bird fluttering into the tent hardly caught her eye as she was so engrossed in going over the estimates of getting the Academy rebuilt as well as the administrative wing where her office had been. It wasn't until it landed on her desk and chirped that she realized it was one of Sai's jutsu beasts. She unfurled a blank scroll and it tottered onto it and exploded words across the paper.

They were back already? And Hinata was gravely injured… yes, she was needed. The bills would just have to wait. With a flourish of her green haori, Tsunade strode out the tent, headed for the hospital.

When she arrived, Tsunade was taken aback by what she saw. Sai was crouched low on the floor, his back against the wall. His elbows were against his knees, and his head was bowed low with his hands tangled in his hair on either side of his head. He was the very picture of distraught, and Tsunade had never expected to see such a display from him. She was about to call out to him when Hyuga Hiashi-sama called out to her instead. Tsunade turned to greet the younger man, his youngest daughter at his side.

"I have no time for pleasantries, Hokage-sama. Where is my daughter?"

Tsunade didn't actually know, so she turned back to ask Sai, who had risen to his feet, his eyes on the floor. He silently gestured towards the door across the hall from him. With his hands out of his hair, it now looked positively wild. His shirt was half-buttoned and filthy. One cuff was rolled up while the other hung over his fingertips. What the hell happened to him? And where was Kakashi? "Thank you," she replied, then said, "After you, Hiashi-sama."

The man strolled in first, Tsunade behind him. His daughter lingered behind them in the hall with Sai. This surprised Tsunade, as she was unaware they were familiar with each other. Once in the room, she saw Hinata lying in bed, already clad in a hospital gown with the blanket pulled up to her chest. How many of her precious shinobi had Tsunade seen in this state over the years? Far too many to count. Even more that never even made it back.

Sakura glanced at Hiashi-sama, then gave Tsunade an uncertain smile. "Thank you for coming, Tsunade-sama. She had some minor wounds, which I've already healed. There was a gash on her head as well, but is also mended. The problem is, we cannot get her to wake up. I think she's concussed or even in a coma. Sai said she was unconscious and almost drowned, but did wake briefly before losing consciousness again."

Tsunade stepped up to the bed and put her hand against Hinata's forehead. She expelled some chakra and tried to identify what the source of Hinata's medical distress was. Unlike with Sasuke and Kakashi, Hinata's problem was not a genjutsu to be undone. After several moments, she sighed and removed her hand. "She is in a coma, and I'm sorry to say, we have no recourse. We will just have to wait until she wakes up on her own." She turned to Sakura and gave her a meaningful look. The girl understood and left them alone in the room, closing the door silently behind her.

"There is no way to predict these things," Tsunade said to Hiashi-sama. "It could last hours or days or… more."

"She is stronger than before," Hiashi-sama said, his face impassive. "Once, I would have dismissed her recovery abilities, but I am less certain to do so now. She has a strong spirit."

Tsunade recalled what she'd heard of Hinata's attempt to save Naruto. Hinata had a strong spirit, yes, but she also had strength of body. It was very likely she would mend, given time. Her thoughts returned to Sai, and she knew she needed some answers. With a nod to Hiashi-sama, she said, "Excuse me. I have additional matters to tend to."

-O0O-

Sai couldn't bring himself to look either Tsunade-sama or Hinata-san's father in the eye. The first would be disappointed in him while the latter would no doubt be furious with him, were they to learn the truth of what happened. And it wasn't that he _lied_ about it, for he was always quite honest. He just… omitted.

It took him a moment to realize that Hinata-san's sister was still in the hallway with him. When he did, Sai merely arched a questioning brow at her.

"What happened to Nēsan?"

Sai's eyes widened slightly, then he assumed his usual impassive expression. "Why are you asking me and not joining your family? The medical nins can explain it to you."

"They weren't there," she said simply. "You were. So, what happened?"

"She fell," Sai said. "She hit her head and fell into a lake."

"Nēsan is not clumsy," Hanabi-chan said with a frown. "How did she fall?"

Sai shrugged and looked away. He was uncomfortable being addressed so directly by a child with the same eyes as Hinata-san. He could swear he saw accusation in them. "She was surprised. It happened very quickly."

"What surprised her?"

"It's… not important."

She stepped closer to him and cocked her head back to look up at him. Her intense gaze was extremely disconcerting. "It was your fault, wasn't it? That's why you're acting like this."

Sai frowned at her. Were all children so direct? He'd had very little exposure to children her age since he was a child himself. He couldn't remember behaving like this. "I am… partly to blame, yes." No, he knew he was entirely at fault. Had he not done everything wrong, then Hinata-san would be fine. They would be back in the cave with Kakashi-sensei, and he would not be having this awkward conversation with a nine-year-old.

Hanabi-chan regarded him silently for a moment, then said, "Do you like her?"

"W-what do you mean?" Sai stumbled. "I mean… yes. She is a teammate. And possibly, I think maybe, a friend. We discussed it, but the conversation ended abruptly before we confirmed one way or the… never mind. It's not important."

"She doesn't like you," Hanabi-chan said bluntly. "She likes Naruto-san. And even if she didn't, she wouldn't like you. She doesn't like liars."

Sai frowned at her, then chose to walk away. He was not going to argue with a child, and he had nothing to argue anyway. What she said was probably true; Hinata-san liked Naruto, and would never like Sai. Not that it _mattered_. He found Hinata-san pleasant company, and yes, he did like her aesthetically as well, but that was it. She was just a nice person. He didn't _feel_ anything for her. He didn't feel anything for anyone, that was his problem. He wanted to understand emotion and eventually have emotions of his own, but what he experienced in the cave scared him. He felt out of control and, in retrospect, he'd behaved completely irrationally. He was ashamed of himself for his outbursts and his clearly lecherous display. At this point, he doubted Hinata-san would even speak to him again. And he didn't care. Shouldn't care. _Won't_ care. Not at all.

"I'm not a liar," he mumbled as he walked off toward the door. He would just go outside to wait for them to leave, then check on Hinata-san afterwards. Out of duty to his teammate.

"Yes you are. You do it all the time," Hanabi-chan said, following him. "You are a member of Root, and they are all liars. Everyone knows that."

Sai stopped in his tracks. Yes, everything about him was a lie, wasn't it? He gave honest opinions and spoke bluntly, but that didn't make him an honest person. "How do you know about me?" he asked, his back to her. "I have never seen nor met you before. I only know who you are because of your sister."

"You are a teammate to Naruto-san, the Savior of the Village," she said, as if that explained everything. She shifted her weight on her feet and sighed. "Everyone is talking about him, and they talk about everything about him, so that means you, too. You are Sai-san of Root. You are a liar and a killer with no family. Nēsan would not be your friend. You are a mongrel and she is nobility. She only talked to you because she had to. You should just—"

Sai spun around and growled, "Shut up!" Then his eyes met Sakura's. He had not heard her come out of Hinata-san's room. Shame washed over him and he ran his hands through his hair in exasperation, tugging at the unruly locks. Without a word, he turned and ran, throwing the doors open as he fled into the street.

-O0O-

Author's Note: I know, we know so little about Hanabi's personality. I decided she's a busybody brat :-)


	12. Chapter 12

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 12

Author's note: To address a commenter, I had no intention of 'trolling' readers by including Naruto's name, and I did mention he would not be in it for several chapters. So, to avoid further confusion, I've removed his name from my story. He is not the focus, which I did mention.

-O0O-

Brief recap: "You are a teammate to Naruto-san, the Savior of the Village," she said, as if that explained everything. She shifted her weight on her feet and sighed. "Everyone is talking about him, and they talk about everything about him, so that means you, too. You are Sai-san of Root. You are a liar and a killer with no family. Nēsan would not be your friend. You are a mongrel and she is nobility. She only talked to you because she had to. You should just—"

Sai spun around and growled, "Shut up!" Then his eyes met Sakura's. He had not heard her come out of Hinata-san's room. Shame washed over him and he ran his hands through his hair in exasperation, tugging at the unruly locks. Without a word, he turned and ran, throwing the doors open as he fled into the street.

-O0O-

Tsunade was _not_ tracking down Sai to give him a pep talk. What Sakura had told her was perplexing as it was out of character for Sai to lose his temper. Indeed, she hadn't thought he _had_ a temper to lose. Though she was concerned, Sai's state of mind was not what was relevant. He had returned to the village without one teammate and the other lie wounded in the hospital. She had every right to know why at the very moment she wanted the answer, even if it meant tracking down the very out-of-sorts boy at a time he might rather be alone.

He wasn't hard to find, perched atop a stack of lumber that lay across the street from the hospital, one leg dangling over the edge and the other with its knee holding up Sai's chin. His hands were folded low against his shin, his gaze fixed on the hospital. He paid no mind to her approach, not budging a single cell of his body.

She stepped up and spun around, leaning her back against the wood not two feet from his hanging leg. Her arms crossed against her cumbersome chest. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Sai."

"Hai." His disinterest was obvious.

Tsunade gave him a sidelong glance. What the hell was wrong with him? Were it not for the boy's lack of emotional ability, she would have wondered if he had post-traumatic stress from whatever happened on the mission. And yet, there was definitely something strange about his behavior. "Where is Kakashi?"

"He stayed behind." Again, his tone implied a total lack of interest in his condition, location, or company.

Impatient at last, Tsunade barked, "Get down here and report to the Hokage as a shinobi should."

Obedient, Sai hopped down and stood in front of her. His hair was still in total disarray, his clothes disheveled, and something was… missing—in his eyes. While the boy could claim he lacked emotion, not once did Tsunade ever suspect he lacked intelligence. His eyes normally surveyed a scene, darting about as he calculated everything in his view. His gaze now lacked that curiosity. In fact, it was fixed on the wood behind her, just to the left of her shoulder, his voice almost mechanical as he began his report.

"It took almost two days to find the location. We altered our route to go through some caves under Hinata-san's direction as she could interpret what Kakashi-sensei could not. We came upon a barrier that let me pass, but it was a false entrance that caused the cave to collapse—an error in my judgment. Once we exited the cave, we were met by a shapeshifter. She surprised Hinata-san who fell backwards over the cliff and into the lake. I retrieved her and, due to her injuries, Kakashi-sensei ordered me home to have Hinata-san treated. He opted to stay."

"Opted to stay?" Tsunade repeated. "Why?"

"To investigate further. The shapeshifter intrigued him, I believe." Sai's gaze drifted down the wood and seemed to settle on the ground.

Tsunade frowned. The boy probably thought he was being perfectly clear, but Tsunade was confused. "So, a cave collapsed, there was a cliff, a lake, and a shapeshifter, the latter of which prompted Kakashi to… send his subordinates home without him? Does that sound about right?"

Sai cocked his head and blinked, then seemed to be considering her words before he shook his head. "I think I did not relay it properly. Hinata-san was seriously injured and required immediate medical treatment. Kakashi-sensei chose to save her and continue the mission on his own."

_That sounds like Kakashi_. "Explain something else to me; if you were in a cave that collapsed the entrance, how did you get out?"

"The cave led to the entrance to an enormous cavern, and it was that entrance that collapsed. The cavern held a lake and surprisingly lush vegetation, as well as a waterfall. There was an opening in the cavern ceiling near the waterfall."

"An opening?" Tsunade clarified. "One large enough to fly out of on one of your birds, I presume?"

"Hai."

"And it didn't have a barrier like the cave entrance did?"

Sai's eyes… shifted. He met her eyes for an instant, then dropped his gaze again. "N-no, Tsunade-sama. Not that I noticed."

"I guess I'm confused again." Tsunade put her hands on her hips. "There is a map and scrolls only readable for dojutsu users, an underground passageway with booby traps and barriers—but just anyone could drop in out of the sky either by design or destiny? That seems extremely incompetent of the people responsible for this little scavenger hunt, don't you think?"

Dark eyes remained focused on the ground, his brows scrunching together to form a sincere frown. "Tsunade-sama, I fear I made another miscalculation. The first barrier collapsed the cave after I had walked through it. If there was a barrier in the ceiling, it may not have collapsed until I was too far away to see it."

Tsunade's arms dropped. "So, it's possible Kakashi is trapped right now?"

Heavy lids fluttered closed, then lifted to lock eyes with her. "Hai."

"Where is the map? The scrolls?"

Brows furrowed again. Sai's eyes drifted to the vacant stare of someone searching their memory, then he sighed. "I believe Kakashi-sensei has them. They fell in the lake with Hinata-san, but the shapeshifter retrieved them and gave them to Sensei."

Tsunade had been more interested in Kakashi's location and condition, but now that they were back on this topic… "Tell me about this 'shapeshifter.' Is it a jutsu? What do they become?"

"It prefers a female form," Sai replied slowly. "I saw it become human females, but also a fox, dragon, butterflies, and a deity Kakashi-sensei recognized. She seemed most interested in being something we would find beautiful."

There was something in the way Sai carefully chose his words that troubled Tsunade. Like he wasn't telling her the entire truth or was trying to edit it. "So it was trying to please you? That would mean it was a positive encounter, I assume. Did it seem dangerous to you?"

"Everything is dangerous." Sai's dark expression was uncanny.

Tsunade attempted to ignore the strange response, but failed. "I suppose that is true," she agreed with a dismissive shrug. "But is this shapeshifter an immediate threat?"

Sai seemed to mull it over for a moment. "I'm honestly not sure. She spoke in a very old dialect. We had trouble understanding her. She seemed able to read our thoughts, and she spoke to Kakashi-sensei in his mind in a way he could understand her words. As for the… our mission," he corrected himself, as they could be overheard, "we don't know anything about it. That is possibly why Kakashi-sensei stayed."

Tsunade didn't know if she should be worried for Kakashi or not. If the cavern collapsed as Sai said it might have, the man was in serious trouble. She would need to assemble a rescue team with excellent trackers because the map was gone, and Kakashi was an excellent shinobi who led his team—also highly skilled—through storms (presumably, being near Amegakure) that erased evidence. She would've considered just turning Sai back around on his scroll beasts to fetch Kakashi, but there was something wrong with the boy. It would be evident to anyone even slightly acquainted with him.

A familiar pink-haired girl headed towards them from across the street. Tsunade exchanged another meaningful conversation through glances with her, then sighed. "Very well. You're dismissed."

Sakura slid her arm around a startled Sai's. "Come on." She began to pull him along down the street. The boy seemed resigned and followed.

-O0O-

When Sai fled the hospital, he didn't know where he was going. He should go home and get cleaned up to report to Tsunade-sama, but he found he couldn't leave the immediate vicinity. He wanted to check on Hinata-san, but would have to wait until her family left. With that in mind, he settled himself on some obliging wood across the street so he could see them leave.

He was embarrassed of his outburst, certainly. But mostly he was shocked at himself. His behavior had been deteriorating the last two days, and he didn't understand why. Maybe there was something strange about the caves they had traveled through. Reflecting on his actions, they didn't become unusual until then. He had been fine on the mission until they detoured into the caves. There had to be an external source, surely. Otherwise… well, otherwise, he might be losing his mind. It was not unknown for the pressures of being a shinobi to be too much for a person and their mind just cracks one day. Maybe the conditioning Danzō had put him through was failing and his mind was slipping. It was a frightening thought. Especially if his recent attempts to understand and even _feel_ emotions were to blame. Perhaps he was never meant to for a reason. It could be the catalyst for a total mind collapse. Or maybe he was overreacting—but that, too, would be aberrant behavior for him.

Sai was still struggling with his internal turmoil when Tsunade-sama approached him. He wasn't ready to report yet. He wasn't in the _mood_. Again, a petulant thought that didn't belong in his head. Sai wondered at that as the Hokage began speaking to him. He did the best he could to interact with her, but he couldn't pull his thoughts away from… his thoughts. His conversation with her was like a backdrop to the stage where his thoughts were dancing. No matter how he tried, he couldn't fully focus on her.

Until she mentioned the possibility of a barrier in the ceiling that he failed to notice. Sai's thoughts faded from the stage, but were still dancing like ghosts in front of the backdrop he was trying so hard to focus on. He struggled with explaining the situation to Tsunade-sama, and even more so when he tried to describe the creature from the cave.

He jerked in surprise when an arm slinked around his, and he looked down to a smiling Sakura. It wasn't her fake smile, so he relaxed in her grip. When she tugged him along, he acquiesced silently. Whatever she was doing or wherever she was taking him, he knew better than to argue. His mind was fractured enough without having her strike him upside the head.

-O0O-

Sakura didn't know what to do about Sai. He had seemed… off… since he got back with Hinata. She had a million questions for him, but he had seemed too dazed to give her very good answers, and her focus had been Hinata. But when she left the room and saw Sai yell at Hanabi-chan, she knew it was time to interfere. She had almost made it out the door to follow him when Tsunade-sama called out to her, and she found herself explaining her worries to the Hokage instead of chasing down her teammate. Tsunade-sama said she should talk to Sai, but first allow her to debrief him about the mission he had been on.

Now that she had a hold of him, she wasn't sure where she should take him. Much of Konohagakure was in shambles. She shared a tent with her parents for now, but they were working on rebuilding their home. Sai, she was certain, had lived in an apartment complex that had been just as destroyed as the rest of the buildings, so he was probably in one of the hundreds of tents on the west side of the village. Just to check, she asked amiably, "Where are you staying these days?"

Sai's brow crinkled, then he paused in his step. He looked around until his eyes fell on a pile of rubble. He headed towards it, Sakura in tow. Behind the pile of broken wood and shattered stone lay a trap door that he flipped open. "Root is still largely intact below the village. I have a room there." Without another word, he hopped down the hole.

Sakura hesitated, then followed him. She was curious about Root, and now had an opportunity to learn more about it, even if it was disbanded now. She landed in a low kneel then stood, glancing around at the dusty stone walls and sconces that led down the corridor. Sai was already several yards away, not paying her any mind as he headed down the hall. "Well, at least you're out of the rain down here," she offered to his back.

Sai said nothing. From behind, he didn't even look like the same person. His hair was a mess, and though she had seen him wear his casual civilian attire before, it had always been clean and pressed. He looked like he'd gotten into a fight with a muddy bear and lost. Even the way he walked and held himself was different. When he turned into a room, she followed silently.

She had not been expecting what she found. There was a wardrobe cabinet, a single bed, and a desk; all within the norm. But piled along the walls were stacks of scrolls, paintings, sketches, art supplies, and one broken easel. "Have you had so much time to draw since everything happened?" she asked in astonishment.

"Not really." Sai dug in the wardrobe and extracted clean, perfectly folded clothes that he then settled on the desk. "Most of that was what I was able to retrieve from my apartment. Excuse me." He grabbed a towel that was folded on a shelf over his headboard then headed for a door that she presumed was the washroom.

Left to her own devices and curious, Sakura stepped over to the canvases and scrolls. As she sorted through them, she could now see many of them were filthy and most of them had damage of one kind or another; scratched, torn, smudged with dirt—and yet he saved them. She had thought Sai had no connection to his art at all. He had even said as much. So why did he salvage his damaged works?

Sakura spun around when she heard the door open and was about to comment on her surprise, but a whole new one awaited her. Wrapped in nothing but his robe around his waist, Sai walked over the desk where his clothes were still resting.

His body was as pale as she expected, seeing how her teammate had a fondness for midriff shirts and low-cut pants that exposed much of his torso already. But to see his entire form from his navel to his nose was disconcerting. She didn't know why. She'd seen plenty of male flesh during her work as a medical nin, but Sai's near-nakedness brought a flush to her cheeks. His skin was smooth as his slim muscles slid beneath it with each fluid movement. Black hair hung damp and limp against his face and neck, shedding water droplets that trickled over every taught curve. When he reached for his clothes, she panicked, thinking he was about to drop his robe.

"Sai!" she barked, punching him in the side of the cranium. He crumpled to the floor, holding his head. "I'm a _lady_. Don't you dare dress in front of me."

He mumbled something she couldn't understand as he drew a knee up, the towel falling open around it.

Sakura's eyes couldn't help but roam over the exposed thigh and curves of his leg, but she quickly turned her back on him and demanded, "What?"

"I forgot my clothes."

Redness seeped into her cheeks. "Oh. Um… okay. Sorry. Take your time."

She heard him move around, and then heard the door close again. She let out a relieved sigh. That was embarrassing, but it was his own fault. Sakura didn't know why it affected her so. She'd seen many a male torso before without the slightest hint of awkwardness. Maybe it was because he resembled Sasuke so much.

"Do you... want to talk about what happened earlier?" Sakura called out to the door.

"I said I just forgot my clothes," Sai replied. "It won't happen again."

Sakura frowned at the door. Were all boys this dense? "Not that. I mean what happened with Hanabi-chan. It seemed to upset you. We're teammates, Sai. You can talk to me." There was no denying that. The last honest conversation they had, he said many things to her, granted they were all about her behavior and not his.

There was a long, heavy silence from the other side of the door. "I cannot speak of what I don't understand, Sakura. I appreciate your concern, however."

"Maybe I can help you understand it," Sakura offered lightly. "Sometimes, you just need to talk stuff out to understand it yourself."

Sai opened the door and looked at her, disbelieving. He wore a white shirt that wrapped to the left and a dark blue sash around his waist with matching pants, which only accentuated his similarity to Sasuke. "I will… try to discuss it with you, if you wish."

"Okay," Sakura said, taking a seat at the end of his bed. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure." Sai settled himself on the floor, leaning his back against the wall. "I seem to be suffering from some kind of mental breakdown, and I cannot discern the cause. I started to become overly emotional during this last mission, and it seems I am unable to regain focus."

"I see." Sakura thought about it, and the best way to cure the problem was to determine when the symptoms started. Just like any other illness, if that was what they were dealing with. "When would you say you first noticed irregularities in your thinking?"

Sai's gaze dropped to the floor as he considered it. After a moment, he said, "When speaking with Hinata-san on our way to… our destination. I noticed an increase in heart rate and suffered from an inability to properly convey my thoughts. I later had an inappropriate reaction to her… attire, and then became inexplicably annoyed with Kakashi-sensei while he discussed our route with Hinata-san. Later, I experienced intense anger when Kakashi-sensei impeded my attempts to rescue Hinata-san. My thought processes seem to have gradually become more unstable as time has passed, culminating in my reaction to Hanabi-chan's provocations."

Sakura listened, attempting to discern if there was an underlying cause for Sai's apparently _emotional_ state. Increased heart rate, trouble focusing, irritation, anger… all of which were unlike Sai. Aside from Kakashi-sensei, Sai was the most reserved and calm person she knew. But mixed in with the emotions was one common factor: Hinata. Reflecting on what she'd witnessed with Hanabi-chan, Sakura thought she understood what the problem might be, even though it was almost unbelievable. "Sai, is there a chance that—maybe Hanabi-chan was not entirely incorrect?"

Dark eyes met Sakura's, and she could see a flash of anger dance behind them. "In regards to my being a liar and killer?"

"What? No!" Sakura held up her palms defensively. Talk about jumping to conclusions. "I meant about Hinata. About you liking Hinata, that is. Do you think maybe it might be true?"

"It _is_ true," Sai said, cocking his head at Sakura as if she were the one who'd lost their mind. "Hinata-san is a very likeable person. I cannot imagine anyone _not_ liking her."

Sakura arched a brow at him then folded her arms against her chest. "Don't play coy with me, Sai. You know very well what I meant. That you like her like…"

"You like Sasuke-kun," Sai finished for her. "Or like Hinata likes Naruto."

Green eyes narrowed. Sakura did not miss how he failed to use an honorific with Hinata that time. "Something like that."

"I do not know her well enough to feel anything for her," Sai said flatly. "I know you far better, and have no such attachment to you."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Thanks a lot. And time doesn't matter for these sorts of things. That should have been in one of those books you love to read so much. Love just sort of… happens. It can't be helped. You have no choice in it, and can't control it because love is—"

"Cruel." Sai pulled up his knees and settled his forehead atop his crossed arms. His body shuddered with his exhale. "I want nothing to do with it. I prefer having no feelings at all."

Sakura got up from the bed and settled on the floor beside Sai. She'd never seen him in such a state. Had Root's conditioning really made Sai's emotional abilities so difficult? All this time, she thought he was just suppressing them or even pretending because she couldn't truly fathom a human could have no feelings at all. On some level, she was right. Sai had them all along, he just didn't know how to recognize them since they'd been buried for so long.

She placed a hand atop his arm. "They're not so bad," Sakura said gently. "Yes, they can hurt, but most of the time, they can make you feel really good, especially when shared between friends and family. You've learned that much just by being with Naruto, haven't you?"

Sai lifted his head and looked at her. Sakura was taken aback at the tears that drifted down the side of his nose, the almost haunted expression on his face, the melancholy eyes. Her heart went out to him, and she wiped at his tears with her thumb. He flinched, but didn't back away, though his eyes went wide and scared like a trapped rabbit. "He is my best friend."

His admission was unexpected, but not implausible. Sakura felt the truth of it as she fixed her gaze on the troubled young man in front of her. Perhaps that was part of the problem; Sai's regard for Naruto warring with his feelings for Hinata, the girl who loved his friend. She wondered if Naruto battled the same demons inside, knowing Sakura loved Sasuke and not him. All of them were at love's mercy, it seemed. Oh, if only love were a choice, their lives would be so much less complicated.

-O0O-

Author's Note: I know, it's a long chapter and all about Sai. But I wanted to get Sai all done with for now so I can make the next chapter Kakashi instead of having it be half and half.


	13. Chapter 13

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 13

Author's note: I'm so glad y'all have stuck with this so far. Now it's back to Kakashi!

-O0O-

Brief recap where we left off with Kakashi outside Tsunade's Hokage tent: She regarded him for long moment, her eyes searching his, but for what he didn't know. He was about to ask her if she understood him when she said, "_It will upset him, this name? You are worried that he will take it badly, that he will resent Danzo and Root, that he might go down a wrong path like your other student Uchiha, like the Uchiha who wants war_."

"_In a nutshell, yeah_," Kakashi replied frankly. "_One's past can be… painful. I need to discover Sai's—Kaito's—before he learns the truth. Half of a truth can be more devastating than the whole. In order for him to know who he truly is, I need to find out first_." Which is why he hoped the Intelligence Division still had their records intact. Otherwise, finding the truth will be a lengthy endeavor that may turn out fruitless in the end.

-O0O-

Kakashi dropped Sai and Hinata's things outside the tent. He held Manami-sama's hand as he entered the Godaime's tent so she would not be afraid when she couldn't understand what was going on. The last thing Kakashi wanted to do was create an incident by bringing her back to Konohagakure. What he hadn't expected was to see several chūnin and jōnin shinobi gathered in front of Tsunade-sama's desk who all turned to look at him in surprise. Awkward to the last, he held up his free hand and said amiably, "Yo!"

A myriad of questions bombarded him until Tsunade-sama barked, "Silence!" The men parted and revealed the Hokage sitting at her desk. "Apparently, the mission is cancelled. You're all dismissed."

"Hai!" The men bowed and strolled out of the tent, all glancing at Kakashi with curiosity in their eyes. He gave his usual smile, muttering an occasional, "Sorry," as they passed him.

Shizune stood behind Tsunade-sama, a small smile on her face. The Hokage, however, was frowning at him. "I see you made it back intact. We were just about to go looking for you."

Kakashi lifted a brow. "Really? I appreciate the thought. But as you can see, I'm fine." The Hokage wasn't looking at him. Her eyes seemed fixed on Manami-sama. In an effort to be polite, Kakashi gestured toward her with his free hand and said, "This is Manami-sama. I encountered her on the mission, and I had hoped she might stay here in the village for a short while. Manami-sama, this is Tsunade-sama, our Godaime Hokage."

Both women regarded each other silently until Tsunade-sama said, "Are you the shapeshifter that Sai has told me about?"

"She can't understand you, I'm afraid," Kakashi said. "Not unless she touches you, and that… isn't advisable. She is a mind reader as well, so for the safety of the village…" he trailed off with a shrug. He shouldn't have to explain how Manami-sama reading the Hokage's mind would be a security risk. "But yes, she is one and the same. What did Sai tell you? I can fill in any blanks."

"_You speak of me as though I am a thing. Your manners are very disrespectful_."

Kakashi let a small sigh escape and closed his eyes briefly. He turned to her and replied in his head, "_I do not mean to be. I apologize. I just need to handle this with tact and respect for the Hokage. If we upset her, she might not allow you to stay_."

Manami-sama's brows arched high at that. "_I can do as I please. I do not need your Tsunade-chan's permission or approval_."

"Is there a problem?" Tsunade-sama asked.

"No, no," Kakashi said, favoring the woman with a bright smile hidden beneath his mask. "Just a small misunderstanding."

Tsunade-sama's eyes narrowed, but she said, "Very well. Sai said she was capable of changing into several forms, usually female, and that she seemed to be a mind reader, so it appears he was correct. What else can you tell me about her?"

Kakashi gave Manami-sama a small bow of his head before he began to speak of her. "She is an ocean deity that used to reside between The Land of Fire and The Land of Lightning. During the Rikudō Sennin's battle with the Ten Tails, her ocean was destroyed when the seabed was lifted, forming the land between our current countries. She was sequestered in a cavern by the Rikudō Sennin at that time. I'm afraid the 'weapon' is her, however she is not a weapon, clearly."

The Hokage began speaking to him, but Kakashi could only hear Manami-sama in his head. "_You left out almost everything. Have you forgotten already? Humans have such short lives and memories to match. You're not mentioning how you think I'm dangerous? You're not going to tell her that you regret not being able to use that lost scroll to kill me? You're not going to tell the leader of your village that I am a bringer of death? Some protector you are, as fickle as the_—"

"_I didn't realize sarcasm has existed for so long_," Kakashi snapped at her, furrowing his brow challengingly. "_Just let me do this my way, okay? Omission makes things… easier. That's all. Yes, I worry about who and what you are, but I'm trying to show a little trust. Don't make me regret that_." He turned and gave Tsunade-sama another smile. "So sorry. She wanted me to tell you about other things, but I don't think now is the appropriate time. I was just relaying what is actually relevant. To not waste your time, Hokage-sama," he added with a polite bow.

"And yet you waste it in argument and explanation," Tsunade-sama replied with a smirk. "Indulge me." She gestured towards Manami-sama and folded her hands beneath her chin. "What did she want to tell me about?"

Kakashi was a quick thinker, so there was no hesitation when he said, "Her legend, which was on one of the scrolls." He withdrew the scroll and placed it on the Hokage's desk. "It tells of the destruction of her home, and how her lover tried to defend his village. He died while battling the Ten Tails, and she has been isolated in grief ever since."

As Kakashi expected, the Hokage's expression softened. "I see. That can be a very difficult thing to accept, the death of a loved one." She lowered her hands to her desk and sat up straighter. "And she is to be your… guest, I take it?"

"Hai," Kakashi said with a nod. "She was ready to leave, but had nowhere to go."

"Where did you plan on putting her? Like most of us, your home…"

"Yes, well." Kakashi said with a shrug. He had been mulling that over, and hadn't really decided on that score yet. Sharing a tent with a deity would be… awkward. To say the least. "I will make arrangements for her."

"And Kakashi," the Hokage said, her eyes narrowing. "You do not feel she is a threat to this village? What has she done to earn your trust?"

Kakashi glanced at Manami-sama, who in turn looked up at him. "Call it a feeling," he said aloud, but added to the deity whose delicate hand was curled up inside his larger one, "_I am willing to earn your trust in exchange for mine_."

The silence in his head was heavy. Their gaze shifted from each other to the Hokage when she spoke again. "I will trust your judgment. For now. You know her better than anyone, if the two of you have been exchanging thoughts all this time. If there is any change in the… situation, be sure to report it right away."

"Hai."

"And be ready for your next mission. I have a feeling I'm going to need you again very soon. You're excused." Tsunade-sama gestured toward the door, and turned to Shizune, her attention on them all but evaporating.

Kakashi turned and headed out the door, opening the flap for Manami-sama.

"Oh, and Kakashi?"

He tilted his head to look back. "Mhm?"

"It's good to have you back." The Hokage curved the edge of her lip in a smile, then returned her attention to Shizune.

_It's good to be back, Tsunade-sama._

"_She didn't hear you_," Manami-sama said, giving him an odd look as he bent to pick up the things he'd left outside the tent.

"_She didn't need to_," Kakashi said, adjusting the items in his arm. "_It's a given_."

-O0O-

Kakashi led Manami-sama towards the hospital. He still had Hinata to check on and his subordinates' things to return. As they walked, Manami-sama would point out where things used to be. This continued for several blocks before Kakashi finally said, "Look, I remember. You don't need to tell me."

Manami-sama arched a brow at him. "_I was attempting to… share in your pain. I know how you are feeling. I hear it. It's such a sad tune. Especially… there_." She pulled him over to an area in the rubble that had been partially swept away by the tensei Pain had used to level the village.

Kakashi looked around, trying to get his bearings, but it was almost impossible with all the debris. Most of the village was completely unrecognizable. He could barely tell where the streets were. "Why here?" he asked.

"_Here is where death found you_," Manami-sama said, her eyes watery from unshed tears. "_You tried. Tried so hard, but still death found you. No… you told it where you were. You invited it. Why?_"

Well, he wouldn't say he _invited_ it, but he knew the risks when he used Kamui to save Chōji. Her concern for him was again touching and unexpected, so he was patient when he replied, "Because it was possible for me to save a shinobi with vital information who could protect the village and his comrades. It was not possible for me to do nothing. A shinobi who stands still and lets harm come to his comrades is worse than trash."

"_And you would rather cease to exist than exist as this 'trash'?_"

"Any day of the week," Kakashi said, realizing at last that he had been speaking aloud instead of in his head. He gave her a wide grin and added, "But it's nothing to worry about now. As you can see, I'm perfectly fine. Death didn't want me, I guess."

"_Yes it did_," Manami-sama said darkly. "_You were stolen away, and that makes death want you even more. It waits for you. That is your fate, human_."

Kakashi shrugged. "True enough. Now, if you don't mind—"

Manami-sama squeezed his hand almost too tightly. "_Your father?_"

"What about him?"

"_He met you at the entrance to the next world?_"

Kakashi hadn't spoken of it to anyone, not even Tenzō. Not because he was hiding it or holding back, but simply because he didn't discuss his father with anyone. He wasn't even sure if it was real or imagined. The mind could play tricks on you, after all. It may have just been a dream he had before he woke from being revived. "That is how I remember it, yes. It might not—"

"_You doubt it?_" Manami-sama shook her head. "_Of course you do. You humans doubt everything. But your father was as real as me, and now he is with your mother. I… envy him_."

"Envy him? Why?" Kakashi couldn't fathom a reason a deity would envy his long-dead and long-suffering father. She seemed to resent just about everything it was to be human, especially the mortal aspect of it.

"_Hideyoshi does not wait for me_." Manami-sama looked up at the sky, her eyes searching for something. "_Nor could I go to him if he were. As a yōkai, no heaven exists for him, and as a god, death's grip simply passes through me. Our separation is as eternal as my sorrow_."

Manami-sama turned to him suddenly, anger flashing like blue flames in her eyes. She burst into sakura petals and whirled around him in a furious tornado. "_How dare you pity me, Hatake-bo? I neither need nor want such benevolence from a creature like you! You, whose entire existence is but a blink to my eyes, have no right to look down on me_."

Kakashi was tense in surprise at her sudden shift in mood, but once the whirlwind vanished into the sky, his muscles relaxed while his mind did not. What the hell was that all about? Had he been pitying her? He couldn't recall, he'd thought of many things as she spoke. But for some reason, the fact she had called him by his surname instead of his given name stung a little bit.

Tsunade-sama had said if there was a change in their situation, he was to report it. Kakashi considered it for a moment, then decided there was no real change. This was not the first time Manami-sama had become upset and disappeared from his view, but he had no doubt she was still lingering nearby unseen. By her own admission, she had nowhere else to go.

With a glance around to see if anyone had witnessed their display, Kakashi sighed with relief when he spotted no one. Putting one foot in front of the other, he headed for the hospital. He needed to see Hinata, and he was tired of carrying around other people's things.

-O0O-

Author's Note: Sort of a short chapter, I guess. Compared to the last one anyway.


	14. Chapter 14

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 14

Author's note: I appreciate you! Thanks for keeping me going.

-O0O-

Brief recap: Tsunade-sama had said if there was a change in their situation, he was to report it. Kakashi considered it for a moment, then decided there was no real change. This was not the first time Manami-sama had become upset and disappeared from his view, but he had no doubt she was still lingering nearby unseen. By her own admission, she had nowhere else to go.

With a glance around to see if anyone had witnessed their display, Kakashi sighed with relief when he spotted no one. Putting one foot in front of the other, he headed for the hospital. He needed to see Hinata, and he was tired of carrying around other people's things.

-O0O-

As soon as he'd stepped through the front doors of the hospital, Kakashi wondered what his big hurry had been. He'd been averse to hospitals for as long as he could remember. It could be the smell, it could be the sterile brightness, he didn't know. Maybe it was because it was one of two primary places people went to die, and there was nothing dignified about dying alone in a strange room with nothing to note your passing but some scratches on a clipboard by an apathetic medical nin who'd seen death a thousand times over. No, when Kakashi's time finally came, he'd prefer it be on the battlefield, defending his home.

This visit, he reminded himself, was not to be as grim as all that. He was simply checking in on Hinata. Had she been in terrible shape, surely Tsunade-sama would have mentioned it, so Kakashi strode up to the first medical nin he spotted to ask which room she was in. He rapped lightly on the door before sliding it open, and was surprised to see Sai in a chair beside her bed. Hinata seemed to be sleeping, which was understandable. What was less explicable was the position Sai had allowed himself to rest in—one arm folded against Hinata's blankets, his head facing her. Pale fingertips barely made contact with Hinata's closed hand. Kakashi's view of this was less than a second before the boy shot up from the chair.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sai's gaze seemed to not inspect just him, but the area surrounding him as well before Kakashi slid the door shut. "You're back so quickly? And… alone?" Dark eyes dropped to the items in Kakashi's arm.

"Yes and no," Kakashi replied, stepping up to place the items at the foot of Hinata's bed for Sai to sort out his things. He found it odd that Sai had not thought to keep his voice down for the girl sleeping right in front of them. "How's Hinata?"

Sai's gaze drifted back to the Hyuga heir, then a worried frown appeared. "She's in a coma. Tsunade-sama does not know how to bring her out of it. Sakura said all her injuries are healed or healing."

"Coma?" Kakashi echoed, adopting a frown of his own. Why had Tsunade-sama said nothing? Did she not think it was serious enough to mention? He stepped closer to the head of the bed and looked down on Hinata. She seemed a little pale, and had a bandage over her forehead, no doubt a remnant from the strike she took to the head. He gave Sai a sidelong glance. The boy seemed genuinely concerned about their teammate. He was even folding Hinata's possessions and stacking them on the bedside table.

"How are _you_ doing?" Kakashi asked now, trying to not ask what he really wanted to know. "No injuries or… side effects? From diving from so high, that is. It was extremely dangerous, what you did."

"But necessary," Sai said bluntly. "To save a teammate, one shouldn't hesitate to take risks."

"Well said," Kakashi said with a broad grin that reached his eyes. He then arched an inquiring brow. "So that's a no, then? No… injuries?"

Sai unknowingly slipped his bottom lip between his teeth before stating, "I'm fine, Sensei." It was a sure sign he was holding something back, and that worried Kakashi. Still, he wasn't going to interrogate the boy too much and raise his suspicions before Kakashi had a chance to research further.

"That's good news," Kakashi said, returning his gaze to Hinata. He had hoped to find Hinata doing fine, but her condition was an unexpected blow. Comas were so unpredictable, and this was his fault. Not only was he in charge of the team and therefore responsible for their safety, he had also endangered them all by being more curious than cautious when it came to Manami-sama. Had he been more careful and studied her before allowing the others to interact with her, then none of this would have happened. He should have kept her attention on himself and had the other two stay back until he better understood the situation.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Mhm?"

"How did you escape the cavern?"

Kakashi turned to face Sai and was surprised that the boy's gaze wasn't curious—it was suspicious. "I wouldn't call it so much an escape as I would call it a kidnapping," he said with a smile and a shrug. "I was working on escaping when Manami-sama grabbed me and flew us out the ceiling, much like how you left." _Only with some terror thrown in_.

"Manami-sama? You mean the shapeshifter." Sai's eyes were narrowed at him now.

"Turns out she's more complicated than that," Kakashi explained, tucking his hands into his trouser pockets. "She's an ocean deity who's been living in that cavern since the days of the Rikudō Sennin. She was ready to leave, though, and she decided to come with me."

"Come with you or force your obedience?" Sai asked, arching his brow. "You said it was like a kidnapping."

"Maybe I was being too dramatic."

"And there was no barrier in the ceiling? You could both just leave without any problems?"

"She said she needed a child of Hagoromo." Kakashi shrugged. "Which I'm not, but maybe what was really needed was Sharingan."

Sai opened his mouth, then closed it, frowning. His gaze dropped to the floor, then suddenly lifted and locked with Kakashi's. "Then how were Hinata and I able to leave without incident?"

Kakashi faked bewilderment, shrugging. "Don't know. Maybe because Hinata was a dojutsu user, not necessarily a Sharingan user."

"But I'm not," Sai said, narrowing his eyes again. "If my presence made the first barrier collapse the tunnel, why did my presence not collapse the cavern ceiling when I passed through it?"

Kakashi's eye went wide. "Ah! Is that why Tsunade-sama was in such a hurry to send a search party? Well, sorry for the worry. Unless that had been a subconscious assassination attempt."

Sai blinked at him. "Assassination attempt? Are you implying that I tried to kill you, Kakashi-sensei?"

_Oh, right. No sense of humor_. "Not really. It was just a joke."

"Because I didn't," Sai clarified with great sincerity. "It was an example of extremely poor judgment on my part, but not a deliberate attempt on your life."

"Sai, I get it. I understand," Kakashi said, holding up his hands defensively. "I ordered you to leave that way, remember? The bad judgment call was mine, all right? My mistake, not yours. And it all worked out, so stop kicking yourself." While the truth of the matter might help the boy feel better, Kakashi was of no mind to let him know Kakashi had sent Sai out the ceiling knowing he was a 'son of Hagoromo,' therefore allowed to exit through a barrier, if one existed. The reason the first barrier rejected him was because he'd had an inactive Sharingan. One that would have remained dormant had Sai not made such leaps and bounds in his emotional development.

That development, Kakashi suspected, had been accelerated by Hinata the last few days. Just the mere fact his Sharingan activated so suddenly was evidence of how attached he'd become to Hinata. For whatever reason. Kakashi knew Sai and Hinata had served in missions together (pursuing Itachi and Sasuke with Naruto came to mind), but there'd been no indication that they had become friends. In fact, Sai had expressed curiosity of their status as well since he himself didn't know.

"Hai," Sai said solemnly, then caught Kakashi's gaze again. "So, she came back to Konohagakure with you? Where is she?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Kakashi admitted, running his hand through his hair. "She's a little… unpredictable. I'm pretty sure she'll turn up soon, though. She's a very curious, uh, person."

As if on cue, the drapes of the window began to flap in the strong breeze that blew in, carrying familiar pale pink petals. Sai suddenly had his tantō. Kakashi was surprised he'd had it under his civilian clothes and wondered where he'd stashed it. He grabbed the boy's wrist as Manami-sama materialized. "Don't."

O0O

Sai had been grateful to Sakura for trying to help him work out what was wrong with him, but even though they had determined the _likely_ cause for his distress, the knowledge did not make him feel any better. It didn't make any sense. He'd known Hinata-san for a while now. Why would his opinion of her change so drastically and so quickly? Surely because there was something wrong with him, correct? He had formed an attachment, that much was obvious. What was less obvious was the 'why' of the situation. It didn't make sense to Sai, and therefore he had not dismissed the notion he was losing his mind and this was just a manifestation of his mania.

But acknowledging his lunacy did not make behaving rational any more possible. Instead of meditating as would benefit him, he paced his small room. Instead of reading books that would offer solutions, he went to the hospital to wait for Hinata-san to wake up. Sai didn't know what time he'd finally dozed off, but when he woke, the sun had risen and he was resting his arm and head on the mattress she slept on. He slid his hand forward and caressed the back of her hand. "Still sleeping, huh?" he asked groggily. Sai allowed his gaze to pass over Hinata-san's peaceful face, to pause as her chest rose and fell as she drew a breath in then exhaled. He didn't feel like moving.

"I read somewhere that people in comas can hear other people who talk to them. Can you give me a sign if that's true?" Sai held his breath, watching and listening for any indication that Hinata-san was able to communicate with him, however small. When there was no reaction, he tried again. "Can it be that you are simply dreaming a very good dream and do not want to wake up?" _Is Naruto there?_

While he much preferred it when Hinata-san was awake and gave him interesting answers, it was oddly nice to have this silence, too. He felt like he could tell her anything. There was a certain security in her not being able to remember, and he would have at least said the words aloud to a human.

"Your sister says the village despises me because I am a liar and a killer. Maybe they should. I don't _feel_ like a bad person, but I don't feel _anything_. That's the problem." He paused, his eyes closing tightly. "I think it… angers me. I don't like people talking about me, especially when they don't know me. What I did, whether it was an order or not, it's not important. It was for the safety of the village. Is wearing a flak jacket what makes a hero?"

_Hero? Where had that come from?_ Sai had never cared about those manner of concepts before. 'Hero' was a prejudiced perception. One village's hero was another village's villain. A hero was glorified, praised, exalted—a shinobi of Root despised such attention. What he did was for duty, not for fame or adoration. Naruto wanted these things. He wanted to be acknowledged by the village, he wanted to be special and needed—as Hinata-san said the other day. Sai's eyes opened to study Hinata-san again, uncertain if he would prefer her awake or asleep in this moment. "Is that what you want, Hinata-san? The Hero of the Leaf Village?"

Sai closed his eyes again and released a heavy sigh. He hated feeling this way. He hated _feeling_. He hated that he hated, and Sai wasted a thought on the frivolous notion of wanting to wish it all away. He opened his eyes and they traveled over Hinata-san's serene countenance once again. "Is what I feel envy?" There was no chance of her answering him, but it was liberating in a way to speak whatever came to mind. "What would you say if I confessed to you, I wonder." Sai's gaze fell on his pale fingertips that barely made contact with Hinata-san's soft hand. "Would I mean it if I did?"

He belatedly heard the knock at the door, and pounced up from the bed to see Kakashi-sensei standing in the doorway. Sai was both surprised and relieved, adding to his new onslaught of emotions to sort out.

The conversation that ensued left Sai feeling unsettled. There was something strange about their interaction, and the longer it went, the more Sai started to suspect he was having trouble trusting Kakashi-sensei. The problem was, he didn't know if the doubt was because of his own inner turmoil or if it was because his sensei really was being less than honest with him. The suggestion that Sai might have tried to murder him did not help.

The news that the shapeshifter had returned with Kakashi-sensei did not set well with Sai. She could be a danger to the village, and if what Sensei said was true, that she was some deity and not merely a mortal creature that could change its shape, then her being in the village was a higher risk than Sai had anticipated. The knowledge that Kakashi-sensei had already lost sight of her alarmed Sai. Ever since they came across her, Sai felt his sensei had begun to behave abnormally—just like himself. To Sai, Kakashi-sensei had always been a cautious and methodical shinobi, even more so when he was pretending not to be. His lack of vigilance with this 'Manami-sama' creature was irregular and disturbing.

At the first flutter of pale pink petals, Sai drew his tantō on instinct, while rationally knowing that a tantō would be useless against a being who was immortal. When Kakashi-sensei grabbed his arm, Sai frowned deeply at him. Did he honestly think Sai had any intention of attacking her? Sai was taking a natural, defensive position, as any good shinobi ought to when dealing with an unknown—and this creature _was_ an unknown, whether Kakashi-sensei wanted to acknowledge that or not.

She materialized in the albino form Sai had seen before, only this time she wore a short-sleeved kimono. While Sai would have secretly agreed with Kakashi-sensei that she was a very beautiful woman, he appreciated that she opted for clothing at this point. Additional nakedness would have made him extremely uncomfortable. When she reached a hand out to him, Sai shook his head and said, "Please, don't… touch me." His thoughts were scattered and fractured enough without her popping into his head as well.

Kakashi-sensei took her wrist, and the two of them were silent for a long while. To Sai's eye, they were just looking at each other, but he was certain they were having a conversation that only the two of them could hear. The creature leaned over Hinata-san and placed a hand atop her bare forearm. Sai opened his mouth to protest, but Kakashi-sensei frowned and held out his hand for Sai to be still. After a moment, the two of them backed away from Hinata-san, and Kakashi-sensei said, "She might not wake up for a while, Sai. Manami-sama says she is 'lost in the dark,' her words. It may be… well, you might not want to hear this right now, but you'd be better off finding something to occupy yourself. You can't stay here waiting."

Sai regarded each of them in turn. How did they know how long he had been there? His eyes darted to Hinata-san. Did she know he'd stayed with her through the night? More importantly, had she understood what he'd said and would she remember it upon waking? Gods, he hoped not. "I hadn't planned to." Which was true. Then again, he was doing many things he 'hadn't planned on' doing lately. He bowed his head and said, "If you'll excuse me, I need to report to Tsunade-sama. I had expected to be leaving on a mission to retrieve you. Now that I see that is cancelled, I'll see if there is an alternative mission I'm needed for."

It was an awkward moment. Sai suddenly realized he had over-explained himself when it was entirely unnecessary. It almost felt as though he was justifying himself, but there was no cause to. With a sidelong glance to the unconscious teammate, Sai slid the door open and left.

He was almost to the exterior door of the hospital when he realized he forgot his things. Hanging his head in embarrassment, Sai strode back to the room, slid open the door, retrieved his things, and muttered a quick, "Excuse me," as he turned and headed back out the door.

-O0O-

Author's Note: I started a new 12 hour shift job, so my posting will likely be less frequent than before, but still at least two or three times a week, I think.


	15. Chapter 15

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 15

Author's note: Here's another chapter. Sorry it's so short, but the next stuff is kinda long so I cut it here.

-O0O-

Brief recap: It was an awkward moment. Sai suddenly realized he had over-explained himself when it was entirely unnecessary. It almost felt as though he was justifying himself, but there was no cause to. With a sidelong glance to the unconscious teammate, Sai slid the door open and left.

He was almost to the exterior door of the hospital when he realized he forgot his things. Hanging his head in embarrassment, Sai strode back to the room, slid open the door, retrieved his things, and muttered a quick, "Excuse me," as he turned and headed back out the door.

-O0O-

_A row of graves at dawn, smoke settling like fog. Dark hair obscuring the face of a weeping girl, knees denting the soft earth. Blood congealing on a sharp blade, the handle gripped tightly by fingers too small for such gruesome work. _

_But the brunette boy seemed unaffected by it all, his back to the girl who wept at the grave of the child who'd once been in her arms. One child of many who had perished, their bodies beneath the earth in line with the monks who had cared for them. Only the boy and girl remained. _

_She had dug the grave in which the boy's body rested. Kakashi and his teammates had buried the rest. The small boy did nothing—he didn't speak, he didn't move, he didn't even make eye contact with anyone. He simply stood, holding the tantō as if releasing it would bring certain doom._

_"Hey, boy," Kakashi said, waving his hand in front of the younger boy's face. "How old are you?"_

_He puffed out his tiny chest. "Three years and eleven months."_

_Pale brows crinkled together at that. The boy spoke far more clearly than a child his age normally would. Granted, he seemed capable of doing many things a child his age normally wouldn't. "That old already?" Kakashi asked, arching his brows high to indicate he was impressed. "And who taught you how to fight?"_

_The boy looked around, then tilted his head curiously at Kakashi. "I don't know how to fight. Who told you that?" _

_"No one." Kakashi puzzled over the boy's answer. "I saw you take down that man. I assume you did the same with the two before him."_

_"Oh, them?" the boy said, then shook his head. "That wasn't fighting. That was killing. I've always known how to do _that_," he added with an eye roll. _

_Kakashi just stared at the boy. Did he really not understand? To be so efficient and ruthless when taking another life, and not having reached a full four years of age—he was either a prodigy or a monster. "I see. Either way, you and your friend need to get ready to leave. If you have anything you value, now is the time to fetch it."_

_"She's not my friend," the boy replied. "She's my mother's sister. We were lost in the woods and the monks found us, brought us here."_

_Mother's sister? Not aunt? It was an odd way to put it, but Kakashi pushed forward without comment. "If you were lost, does that mean you have a home to go back to?"_

_"No. It was burned by my enemies."_

_This was becoming one of the strangest conversations Kakashi had ever had. Were he speaking to someone older, it might have been different. But this boy was more than two years younger than Kakashi and already a proven killer with known enemies. Were these 'enemies' the shinobi who had attacked the temple? "Who are your enemies?"_

_"Everyone," the boy stated flatly, releasing a shuddering sigh as he frowned, eyes on the ground. "I mustn't forget. The world is my enemy. They wish I was never born. Curse the day I arrived. I wasn't meant to be. I'm an abomination."_

_"Who told you that?"_

_"Mama."_

_Kakashi arched a brow at that. "And where is she?"_

_"She's nowhere," the boy replied. "Or wherever people go when they aren't here anymore. Where they went." He pointed at the row of graves._

_"Did your enemies kill her?"_

_"No. I did." The boy looked down at the tantō in his hand as he lifted it slightly. "Not with one of these, though."_

_Kakashi was dumbstruck. Perhaps the boy was closer to a monster than a prodigy. His mother had called him an abomination, and maybe that wasn't too far from the truth. "When did you do that?"_

_The boy held up his hand, and silently counted on his fingers. "Tuesday. This is hers." He pulled at his shirt, indicating a blood stain high on his chest._

_Instead of responding, Kakashi turned to his teammates who were standing several yards away. They hadn't seemed to have heard their conversation. Next, he fixed his attention on the girl. She had risen to her feet and was looking at the boy. While anyone else might have expressed gratitude at being saved, she watched the boy with wary eyes and seemed tense—until the boy turned to look at her as well, then she gave him a brilliant smile that reached her eyes._

_Eyes that were suddenly fixed on Kakashi, accusation burning in them as loudly as if she were screaming a curse at him. They were underground now, a cave lit by sconces. Their amber light glistened reflectively in the blood that ran from her forehead down her nose to her neck. The light in her eyes was long gone as her body lay atop others, their limp forms piled in a corner as if they were roughly discarded firewood. Kakashi stood wide-eyed, a scream threatening at the back of his throat as a cockroach crawled out from her hair and skittered down her face into the folds of her dress._

Kakashi sat up straight in the darkness. Sweat trickled down his brow as he looked around in the dark tent he had shared with Tenzō and Gai before they left with Naruto. 'Tent' was a loose description of what the Wood Release shinobi had created for himself to stay in, and Kakashi and Gai decided it was too big for just one man to inhabit. He felt the truth of it now as his ragged breath echoed against the wood.

He glanced out the window at the structure next to his. Manami-sama had feared the moon rising and shedding light on her, so she had created her own habitation, one that had no way in or out as far as Kakashi could tell. Much like Tenzō, she simply walked through the wooden wall she had created. To see this ability in action again, Kakashi had been struck by the notion that Tenzō had been aptly named, albeit by accident not design.

"_Do you think about the past often?_"

"Too often, probably," Kakashi replied without much thought, then asked, "Where are you?" It was then that he felt movement across his hand beneath his covers. He pulled them back with his free hand to see her partially materialized in the floor, her arm slinked under his covers. "I've asked you not to do that. It's rude."

"_I've spent too much time alone. I find I don't care to be so far from someone who speaks to me. But I must avoid the light, so I had no choice but to hide from it down here. You weren't awake to talk to me, so I listened to the melody inside you instead_."

Kakashi frowned. That was probably the closest thing to an apology he could expect from her. "You could try sleeping, you know."

"_I don't sleep. I can't sleep_," she replied, sliding herself further under the covers he had pushed aside. "_Is it fun?_"

"It's necessary," Kakashi said flatly. "For me, anyway. For all humans, as far as I know."

"_To avoid sleep is to invite death?_" Manami-sama asked. "_And yet it looks so much like death has already come when you do it. The melody lets me know you've not left with it._"

"Next time, just check my pulse," Kakashi said irritably as he laid back down on his pillow.

"_You're angry with me_."

"Not angry. Annoyed."

"_Because I saw your dream?_"

"Yes. No." Kakashi sighed and turned on his side away from her, taking his hand back. It wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare. He tried not to think about all the mistakes he'd made over the years, but some were harder to suppress than others. Obito was one, and of course Rin. But the one that plagued his sleep of late happened long before they had become his teammates.

Kakashi felt a soft pressure against his ankle. "_What was her name?_"

"You're not good at social cues, are you?" Kakashi asked, closing his eyes. "You're in my mind. Find it for yourself."

"_I'd rather hear you tell me. Can't you talk to me for a little bit before you pretend to die some more?_"

"I'm not… forget it." Kakashi decided he was too tired to explain again the difference between needing sleep and feigning death. "Aimi. Her name was Aimi."

"_And she was important to Daichi?_"

"Yes. I think so." To be honest, Kakashi was not sure. There was a lot about them that he didn't understand, and had never asked. "He never said anything to me about it, but she spoke to me as we traveled home. His parents had left their village because they were forbidden to marry. But when his father died after he was born, his mother couldn't support them. She'd returned home to ask forgiveness, and Aimi had gone back with her to get… Daichi. For some reason, however, she tried to kill Daichi instead of retrieve him. That was when he killed her instead. Aimi, fearing for her nephew's life, took him and ran into the forest. Soon their home was on fire. After that, the monks found them and took them in. They had been at the temple only one night before the shinobi came and killed most everyone. Aimi blamed Daichi for that. She was certain that people were hunting him, but she didn't say why. She feared him more than she cared about him, regretting that she had taken him with her instead of leaving him at his home with his mother's corpse. I don't know if she ever told him that. He seemed fond of her, as fond of a person as he could be, at any rate. He was a very… odd child."

"_Abomination?_"

"Something like that." Kakashi sighed again. He was too tired for this, but he had never been in the mood to discuss any of this with anyone, no matter how lively and alert he felt. "He had always been different, as far as I could tell. He was incredibly talented, intelligent, and capable of compassion and patience. But he had… a darkness in him as well. One that I—"

A knock at the door drew his attention. Kakashi rose and opened the door to a waiting Sai. "What is it?"

"We've received a message from Gai-sensei," Sai said in a rush. "Tsunade-sama wants me to take you to him immediately. I'll… wait out here," he added, taking in Kakashi's half-dressed state.

"Give me two minutes," Kakashi replied, closing the door again. He turned to Manami-sama and gestured for her to come up out of the floor. When she did so, he took her wrist. "I have to go. It'd be best if you stayed here in the village. If you need anything…" He paused, as he had no one to offer to give her assistance. Sakura hadn't met her yet and Sai was going with him. He shook his head. She was a deity. Surely, she was perfectly capable of tending to her own needs. "You'll be fine. Just try to not do anything… unwelcome. And keep your clothes on."

He let go of her without waiting for a reply. Kakashi quickly got into his clothes, not paying her any mind as he redid his sandals quickly, though she was resting her hand on his head as he knelt on the floor, no doubt searching for whatever extra words he didn't say.

"_Promise me you won't tell death where you are_."

Kakashi stood as he finished his sandals and took her wrist fully into his hand. "That's a foolish promise for a man to make. No one can predict their future." He gave her a smile before pulling up his mask and added, "But I'll do my best."

-O0O-

Author's Note: Thanks for reading!


	16. Chapter 16

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 16

Author's note: So, I borrowed a bit of plot device from a filler episode. I figured I should start with a confession before anyone messages me and calls me out on it.

-O0O-

Brief recap: "_Promise me you won't tell death where you are_."

Kakashi stood as he finished his sandals and took her wrist fully into his hand. "That's a foolish promise for a man to make. No one can predict their future." He gave her a smile before pulling up his mask and added, "But I'll do my best."

-O0O-

Kakashi watched the sun crest the horizon from the back of one of Sai's scroll beast birds. To his left, Sai straddled a bird of his own, and to his right, Genma casually sharpened his blade from the back of his, seemingly unaffected by the view or his location. Kakashi's gaze wanted to steal glances at Sai to gauge if the young man had returned to something closer to normal, but he could not do so without being obvious as Sai was in his blind spot. If he deliberately turned to look at him too often, surely he would notice.

Unable to direct his attention on Sai, Kakashi instead turned his thoughts to the immediate future. They had received a distress turtle from Gai, and had no idea what they were heading into. Gai, Aoba and Tenzō were headed towards a secret location by boat with Naruto, and taking a secret route to get there, so finding them was going to be difficult enough. Then they'd assist with whatever calamity had befallen them, be it pirates, a sinking boat, or—gods forbid—an attack by the remaining members of Akatsuki.

To be honest, Kakashi was terrified. When he had been told that his most important people were going to be on a secret mission in an isolated location and taking a boat to get there, his anxiety had increased tenfold. He had tried to have faith in Gai and Tenzō's abilities as he trusted their experience and skill, but getting an S.O.S. from Gai sent mild panic down his spine. He couldn't lose them, too. Not all at once.

As odd as it was to acknowledge it, his one ray of hope was that Naruto was with them. His student had proven himself time and again at being able to overcome any obstacle thrown at him, albeit unconventionally. Naruto was Kakashi's greatest source of pride. It didn't make up for all the failures in his life, nothing ever could, but by training Naruto he felt he was able to at least give a little something back to the village he loved. Granted, Jiraiya-sama had a greater hand in it than Kakashi did. Kakashi was far too modest to think he was responsible for all of Naruto's advancement.

He would never admit it to a soul, but witnessing how far Naruto had come in so short a time in regards to using the Kyūbi's chakra, Kakashi was a little envious. Had circumstances been different, had Sensei chosen to seal the Kyūbi in Kakashi instead of his son, then Kakashi might have had an enormous chakra source to add to his countless abilities. He would never have had to be so careful with his Sharingan and be forced to keep it covered, for one. Then again, it was likely the Kyūbi would have killed him and then rampaged in the village when it escaped Kakashi's seal. Kakashi just didn't have enough of his own chakra to do the things he needed to do. It was his main source of frustration when he ever considered his own limitations.

When he wasn't fretting over Sai or worrying about his friends or kicking himself for his own flaws, Kakashi allowed his thoughts to stray to Manami-sama. He hoped she was doing okay, or at least staying out of trouble. He knew she was _capable_ of being dangerous, but didn't seem to desire to be without provocation. The same could be said for most humans, so Kakashi decided she was no different in that regard. The only real difference was the amount of destruction she was capable of compared to that of the average enraged person. He had seen her angry and frustrated and all she did was bluster and rant, so he hoped that was all she did if she did lose her temper while he was gone. He wasn't arrogant enough to assume she'd be bored just because he wasn't there. As long as she didn't change into other people or—gods, no—other _naked_ people, she should be able to converse with the villagers without too much trouble.

It was after noon before they finally spotted the small ship his friends and Naruto were on. While they knew only to look for a small, wooden craft with no markings, it was easy to determine the ship Naruto was on from the dozens of black and bright orange jumpsuits on deck. At first glance, Kakashi could discern no need for assistance nor immediate danger. He signaled to Sai and Genma that they were headed down, and the three of them dropped altitude and jumped onto the port side deck, their scroll beasts dissipating over the water.

At least a dozen Narutos exclaimed, "Kakashi-sensei!" and approached his group. "Sai! Genma-sensei?" The last sounded more like a question, then most of the clones disappeared in puffs of smoke.

"Naruto," Kakashi said in simple reply as he looked around. "Doing a bit of sailing duties?" There was no sign of Gai or the others, and that worried him slightly, but surely Naruto would not be so relaxed if something were amiss.

"Well, it's boring on a boat," Naruto grumbled as he shrugged. "This trip is taking forever. What are you all doing here?" he added, eyeing Sai and Genma again, this time with wary suspicion. "Did something happen in the village?"

"No, everything's fine. Where's Gai?"

"Oh, they're all below deck. Bushybrow-sensei has been sick the whole time we've been on the boat." Naruto glanced at Sai again, his blue eyes studying the older boy.

Yes, Kakashi was sure Naruto could pick up on the difference in Sai as well, having been teammates for a while. His whole aura was off, from the way he stood, the dropped gaze, the anxious expression. "Well, I'll head down there then. Good to see you, Naruto." Kakashi could have asked Naruto what was wrong, but he seemed oblivious, so perhaps it was a secret, whatever the emergency was. He was aware of Gai's weakness for traveling over water, so he wasn't too worried when Naruto said he was ill.

As he headed for the stairs, Genma fell in behind him. He didn't know if Sai would have preferred to follow them or not, but the boy hadn't a chance one way or the other. No sooner had they stepped away than Naruto began interrogating Sai, perhaps with the thought his teammate might be more forthcoming than an adult as to why they were there. Kakashi trusted Sai would not say anything that would give away the true mission and descended the stairs without looking back.

O0O

Sai had not wanted to accompany Kakashi-sensei on the mission, but he knew better than to argue against orders. He wanted to stay and look after Hinata-san, though he knew it was pointless. There was nothing he could do for her but be there when she wakes, and that would be for his own peace of mind, not for her. He also did not want to face Naruto and have to admit he failed in his promise to take care of his friend's friends. He wanted to think he and Hinata-san were friends at this point, but he also felt he didn't deserve her friendship.

He had been stubborn about it, argued with himself endlessly, tried to rationalize it away, but the truth of the situation could no longer be denied—he liked Hinata-san. As they searched for the boat Naruto was on, Sai could only think of her. Her long, dark hair in the breeze, her warm breath against his neck as he carried her, the firelight reflecting in her pale eyes, and yes, the womanly shape that the transfiguring creature graced him with seeing. Sai's memories haunted him as they flew over the expansive water; the weight of her in his arms, her soft flesh against him as they fell in the cave, the exquisite sight of her looking down on him when they landed, her soft hand against his face. He'd been frozen at the time, barely able to breathe as he looked up at her. Sai'd had impulses in that moment that were completely foreign to him, ones that might have gotten him slapped by her and severely scolded by Kakashi-sensei.

But while all of those memories and more flooded his mind, Sai was also overcome by fear. Hinata-san had shown no improvement. In fact, the reverse was true. The water Kakashi-sensei had managed to expel from her lungs had not been all of it, and now she was showing signs of the beginnings of pneumonia. Sai had no idea what to say to Naruto, and was half-certain he was going to avoid telling him at all. Not lie. Omit. As much as possible.

Once they were on deck with multiple versions of Naruto, Sai felt he had only the deck as a safe place to look to avoid the dozens of blue eyes that had looked at him upon arrival. His muscles had flexed in anticipation of following the men below deck, but he was intercepted by Naruto, inquisitive as always.

"So, why are you guys here?" Naruto asked. "If everything is fine, then what are you doing way out here?"

His curious eyes and open expression were hard to gaze upon. Sai knew Naruto wasn't especially clever when it came to many things, but his friend was sort of an idiot savant in other matters. Reading people was one, understanding what was in their hearts. It was this ability that Sai had feared on the way there. Was it a betrayal to like Hinata-san? Naruto had not seemed to return affection to her, after all. But what if he just hadn't had the chance? Sai feared that the most—that Naruto might actually like Hinata-san in return. Where did that leave him? He shouldn't care. He needed to make himself not care.

Sai blinked and realized Naruto was still waiting on an answer. "Kakashi-sensei received a message from Gai-sensei which needed an immediate response." It was not a lie. Kakashi-sensei did receive it, after it had been received by Tsunade-sama. "And I was included since I can travel the fastest, and Genma-san to complete a three-man team."

"Oh," Naruto replied noncommittally. "So… what's going on back home?"

"You've only been gone a few days." Evasive remarks. It was Sai's best option to avoid discussing Hinata-san.

"Yeah, but a lot can happen in a few days," Naruto urged. "So, nothing's going on then?"

"Most of the villagers are busy with reconstruction." Sai shrugged and stepped over to the railing of the boat to look out at the water. He didn't understand the attraction of the sea. From his perspective, there was nothing at all to look at but a vast blue plain beneath a vast, paler blue sky.

Naruto followed him. "What about Sakura-chan? Any news on Sasuke? Have you… hey, what's that?" The question was punctuated by the appearance of three new shadow clones; one standing on the railing, one in the rigging, and one running towards the starboard side.

Sai's gaze had already fixed on the large ivory beast that snaked beneath the surface of the water near the boat. He was certain Kakashi-sensei had told the creature to remain in the village, but apparently it had no intention of obeying. For a moment he panicked, afraid she was going to come aboard and be a naked vision of Hinata-san again.

He didn't fear seeing her that way again, and was angry at himself on some level for that. He feared _Naruto_ seeing her that way. Not only because Sai would then have to explain it, but also because he hated the idea of Naruto seeing Hinata-san naked, too. While it was wrong and beyond Hinata-san's control, Sai _had_ seen her, and he felt a little special for it. Surely, no one else had seen her thus—and then the idea of Shino or maybe Kiba having seen her that way provoked the little goblin in his head to flare with jealousy. No, that was just his imagination, and he shouldn't care anyway. He had no right to her, no more than anyone else did. No _less_, either. Unless one counted, as Hanabi-chan noted, that he was a mongrel undeserving of her.

While he knew perfectly well what 'that' was, Sai didn't know how to answer Naruto. Sai distrusted the creature, though he could give no logical reason other than the fact she was powerful, immortal, unstable, and an unknown. Sai worried at how quickly an intelligent and logical man like Kakashi-sensei could be so readily able to believe everything she said. Sai _did_ know that the idea of anyone being in his head terrified him, so he wanted to give her a wide berth. "It has the appearance of a sea serpent." Sai decided that was an undeniable truth.

"It's _huge_!" Naruto said with child-like wonder. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei, come check this out!" he bellowed down the stairs. "There's a giant white sea serpent! Maybe it'll break the ship, huh?"

Kakashi-sensei and Genma-san both came up the stairs, followed soon by Aoba-san and a greener-than-usual looking Gai-sensei. While the other men looked confused and wary, Kakashi-sensei looked nothing more than slightly annoyed as he strode over to the railing to look into the water.

It was too late. She had already vanished from sight. All of them stood at the railing, their eyes scanning the gentle waves. Sai glanced at Kakashi-sensei. He seemed nervous, which was unusual. When he didn't find the shapeshifter in the water, he started to look around on the deck and up in the sky, something that no others would have thought to do.

A frown appeared and he locked eyes with Sai. "Where's Yamato?"

Sai's eyes scanned the deck. "I never saw him come up from below."

Something akin to fear lit Kakashi-sensei's exposed countenance, then he turned and ran towards the stairs. "Stay up here," he commanded to everyone. "I mean it," he added as he descended the steps.

Naruto called after Kakashi-sensei, but he didn't look back. Naruto turned and asked Sai, "What's that all about?"

"I… am not sure," Sai responded. He knew Kakashi-sensei was distressed by the arrival of his newly-acquired acquaintance for some reason, but why he was anxious about Yamato-taichou was beyond him.

O0O

Yamato had been sleeping well for a change, better sleep than he generally got since being teamed up with Uzumaki Naruto. The boy's sleeping habits could be dangerous sometimes, to the point that Yamato felt quite anxious each night he closed his eyes. But now Naruto slept below deck in a room and Yamato had taken to camping out on the deck beneath the open sky. There was something incredibly relaxing about being on a gently rocking boat and looking out into the vast expanse of the pin-holed black curtain of night.

He was sure Gai genuinely disagreed. It some ways, it was comical that something like motion sickness would be his weakness. Yamato had never seen anything get Gai down in all the years they had known each other. Now, as he and Aoba went over their route in their meeting room, Gai sat curled up on the floor looking as though he might lose his lunch at any moment. But the man refused to be left out of anything, so he'd insisted on being in any discussions that were necessarily convened during times when Naruto was busy elsewhere on the boat. At the moment, Naruto was busying himself by pretending to be a sailor. Or an entire crew of sailors, actually.

It had been quite a shock when Kakashi-senpai and Genma entered the room. It didn't take long to determine that Gai had mistakenly sent one of his turtles, and Kakashi-senpai seemed empathetic enough towards Gai that he held no ire. To be honest, Yamato had rarely seen Kakashi-senpai be out of sorts one way or the other. Even when they were younger and his senpai had lost his teammates, Yamato had seen Kakashi-senpai be rather stoic about it. Then again, as close as he thought they were, he knew his senpai did not share everything with him. He just wasn't the sort to discuss his feelings, and Yamato himself had not endured anything in recent history to warrant having feelings that he needed to share with anyone. As important as Kakashi-senpai was to him after all these years, Yamato didn't know if he even had it in him to have a personal conversation with his senpai. Even though, sometimes, he was tempted. There were things that had been left unsaid for a long time.

When Naruto started yelling about a sea serpent, Yamato followed the other men after quickly rolling up their map and mission scrolls. He couldn't risk Naruto coming below decks and finding any of the documents regarding the current situation. Having tucked them away in the cabinet they kept them stashed, Yamato headed down the short corridor which led to the staircase.

"Daichi?"

The sound of the name he'd not heard uttered in over twenty years froze him mid-step. He turned to see who had spoken it, and his eyes went wide at the ghost of Aimi. That was surely what it was, as she had died more than two decades ago at the hands of Orochimaru. Kakashi-senpai had told him as much.

Unable to wrap his mind around what he was seeing, Yamato took a step back. Aimi stepped forward, her left hand outstretched. "Where… why… what...?" He couldn't even contemplate what question he wanted to ask first. She shouldn't be there. It was impossible. Looking into her dejected eyes, however, he was compelled to comply and reached his hand out to her.

A firm hand suddenly grabbed his wrist and tossed his hand back to him. Yamato's daze cracked when Kakashi-senpai barked, "Don't touch her!" and positioned himself between Yamato and Aimi. "Please, Tenzō, just… don't." The older man then turned and said over his shoulder to Aimi, "What are you doing here? You were supposed to stay home."

Brows furrowed at that, and Yamato's gaze dropped to see Kakashi-senpai not obeying his own orders as his hand was entwined with Aimi's. "Senpai, what's going on? Why is Aimi—"

"No, you're the one interfering," Kakashi-senpai said, but not to Yamato. He was talking to Aimi as if in reply, but she'd not said anything. Yamato again opened his mouth to speak, but Senpai said, "Of course I'm angry. I trusted you."

Frustrated to his breaking point, Yamato yelled, "What the _hell_ is going on?"

Kakashi-senpai, still blocking his view of Aimi, turned his attention to Yamato. "I know this is… confusing, but I need you to trust me, Tenzō. I need to take her into that room and speak with her, and I need you to wait out here. I promise, I'll explain everything in a moment."

Yamato frowned at that, too. When did he ever _not_ trust Senpai? He had known him almost his entire life, and that life had been saved on numerous occasions by Senpai. There was no one he trusted more. After Aimi died, Senpai was all he had left, though their connection at the time had been tenuous and complicated. _After Aimi died_. But there she was, not ten feet from him. Yamato had trusted Senpai when he said she was dead, but that had clearly been a lie. Grieved beyond words at this development, Yamato said nothing. He leaned back against the wall and slid down until he sat in the cramped corridor, one leg pulled up and his head bent.

Kakashi-senpai hesitated, then led Aimi into the room they used for their meetings. Yamato watched the door close, his entire being feeling completely wrung out. If that was Aimi, if she was still alive, then why was she kept from him? And Kakashi-senpai had kept this secret for all these years? Yet, she looked as though she hadn't aged a day in all this time. Was it really Aimi? If so, then she was another survivor of Orochimaru's experiments. Perhaps her body had produced drastically different results than Yamato's had.

But how was she _here_? Kakashi-senpai was obviously surprised by her arrival so she had not come by scroll beast with them, and they were in the middle of the ocean. He had so many questions, but Yamato would have to practice patience before any of them would be answered.

_To hell with that_. Yamato stood and threw the door open. This wasn't the time to be complacent and just go along with whatever Senpai said. He'd been doing that for years. Yet, when he stepped into the room, his thoughts ceased entirely. Aimi stood in front of Kakashi-senpai without a stitch of clothing on. "What's going… what do you think you're doing to her?" Furious, Yamato threw a punch at Senpai. He was surprised when it made contact and Senpai's head turned, but he did not falter. Kakashi-senpai should have been able to block the blow, and Yamato stood confused, his breathing ragged.

"I probably deserve that for dozens of reasons, Tenzō," Kakashi-senpai said, rubbing his jaw with the back of his hand. "But not for anything I've done today."

Yamato was about to argue that when Aimi suddenly changed from being a young, dark-haired woman to an ivory-haired woman at least two inches shorter, but every bit just as naked. She was almost… perfect. He felt a blush heat his cheeks as his eyes dropped from her beautiful face and roamed over her round breasts, descending further down her flat belly to the smooth, split center between her slender, pale legs. He felt his arousal press against his pants, deepening his already hot blush. "I… uh. Uh. Um…" Miserable, confused eyes shifted to Kakashi-senpai, then Yamato turned to walk out of the room.

He did not reach the door, however, before the woman stepped into his way. He paused in his step, averting his eyes to the wall just over her head. He flinched when she reached up and placed a hand against his face. His natural reflex to a naked woman pressing herself against him was to put his hands on her hips, forgetting entirely that Kakashi-senpai was not ten feet from them.

Though her mouth did not move, Yamato heard words spoken in his head. "_Do not hurt Kakashi-bo again, or you will regret it. He seems to have forgiven you, but I will not_."

"R-right," Yamato agreed.

A smile appeared on her lovely face. "_You desire me. Humans can be such slaves to the desires of their mortal flesh. While I do desire some time alone with you, I'm afraid such activities are not what I wish. May I speak with you later, when Kakashi-bo and I are finished talking_?"

Incredibly embarrassed by her blunt words, Yamato's grip on her hips initially tightened. She felt so soft beneath his fingers. Then he let go entirely, stepping back though she did not release his face. "Yes. Okay."

"_Good. You're dismissed_."

Yamato gazed down at her as she dropped her hand. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. What was she, and how did she know Kakashi-senpai? Remembering the other man, Yamato looked over his shoulder at his elder and winced internally at the angry eye that studied him. Without a word, he hastily retreated to the corridor.

O0O

Kakashi had sighed internally when Naruto informed them of the 'sea serpent' he'd seen, though he was sure to be the first to climb the stairs. He was going to tell Manami-sama that he needed her to return to the village immediately. He didn't want her there, not anywhere near Tenzō. Her ability to know so much about people and their pasts was disconcerting enough for an average person, but Tenzō was… a special case. At least to Kakashi. There was no telling how he would react should she start giving him more information than he could deal with.

The truth was, Kakashi was—perhaps—a little protective of Tenzō. For all his picking on him and playful taunts, when it came to serious matters, Kakashi preferred to put himself in front of Tenzō. And it had nothing at all to do with doubts of Tenzō's abilities. He'd been a capable shinobi for over two decades. Much like Kakashi, he had become a chunin at age six. While Orochimaru's experiments had improved his abilities exponentially, Kakashi knew Tenzō would have been a formidable shinobi without interference.

It was just that… he had failed him so miserably in the past. He never wanted Tenzō to experience anything so awful again. Or even a little bit awful. A hard job since Tenzō joined ANBU just one year after Kakashi. When Kakashi quit ANBU to become a sensei for the Academy graduates, he had hoped Tenzō would follow him there as well, but he hadn't. So when Tsunade-sama asked him who was the most trustworthy ANBU to have at her side, he'd immediately volunteered Tenzō with the hopes that detail would be safer than the other assignments ANBU members completed. That had backfired on him when Tsunade-sama sent him with Naruto to try to catch the Akatsuki spy. While he was able to contain Naruto's Kyūbi as planned, Sasuke had almost killed him.

Compared to that, perhaps Kakashi was being overly-protective to be so worried about Tenzō crossing paths with Manami-sama, but he couldn't help it. He knew what sort of life Tenzō had started with, knew the pain and violence he had experienced, and stirring it all up for him again would be counterproductive. He had come so far from the near-sociopath he had once been.

So, when they reached the deck of the ship, Kakashi had every intention of taking Manami-sama to the side and asking her to return to the village. When she was nowhere to be seen, Kakashi was prepared to patiently wait for her to reveal herself as she was wont to do, but when he noticed Tenzō had not come up on the deck, his hackles were raised. He darted down the stairs and barely managed to get there in time to interfere.

'Interfere' was the world Manami-sama had used to describe his presence. It was difficult to gaze upon Tenzō during that moment, trying to get the deity in his grasp to cooperate while making sure the younger man had no contact with her. He wanted to explain everything right away so Tenzō could take that pained expression off his face and stop looking at him with eyes that flickered between accusation and confusion. But in order to talk to Tenzō, he needed Manami-sama to disappear. As he passed the younger shinobi, Kakashi was tempted to pat his head. He looked like a kicked puppy.

As soon as he closed the door behind Manami-sama, Kakashi took her wrist in his hand. "_What are you thinking, looking like Aimi in front of Tenzō_?"

"_Daichi._"

"_Whatever! Why are you even here? You agreed to stay in the village_."

"_I didn't agree. You asked me to, but would not make a promise in return, so we are even. I am free to go where I please when I please. You have no right to dictate what I do, human_."

Kakashi was tempted to face-palm. For a superior being, she could be exceptionally childish. "_But why would you follow me? Of all the things in this world you could be doing, why would_—"

"_You didn't know what was wrong._"

"_What_?"

"_Your friends were in danger and you didn't know why. Your most important people. You behave selflessly and recklessly to save people important to you. I do not wish for anything… bad to happen to you. That is all_."

She seemed sincere, and Kakashi was again touched by her seeming concern for him. She had called him insignificant, remarked on how his life span was but a blink of an eye to her, and yet she repeatedly expressed genuine unease in regards to his safety. Not to be derailed by her words, however, Kakashi said, "_But you've still not told me why you'd come to Daichi as Aimi. You know she's dead. Why would you do that to him_?"

"_I wanted to speak with him, and I thought her form would please him. I have no reference for her being at her most beautiful. I could try_…"

Kakashi had already started to protest what he knew was coming, but it was too late. In the blink of an eye, he was hold hands with a naked Aimi. His first impulse was to look for something to cover her up with, but there was nothing. "_Please don't do that. Nudity is not an acceptable thing for humans. I thought I'd made that clear_."

Unfortunately, that was the moment Tenzō chose to enter the room. Kakashi understood the anger that flashed in the younger man's eyes and chose to do nothing to defend himself. He'd had it coming for a long time after all, just for different things.

He was oddly grateful to Manami-sama for changing back into herself for Tenzō since it showed him that she was not his long lost dead relative, but Kakashi did not appreciate how long it took Tenzō to realize he was being deeply disrespectful by staring at a naked woman. Something uncomfortable stirred in him as he watched the younger man's eyes roam over Manami-sama. When his desire became evident, Kakashi opened his mouth to suggest he leave, but Tenzō beat him to it.

When Manami-sama approached Tenzō, Kakashi reached out his hand to stop her, but he was too late. His brows furrowed when she touched Tenzō, and he wondered what they were speaking about. All curiosity evaporated when the younger man held Manami-sama at the waist. For the first time in his life, Kakashi felt a stirring of possessive jealousy, and he didn't like it. Not one bit. He forced his feet to remain planted lest he do something he'd regret. He had no right to react in such a way.

The door closed behind Tenzō, and Kakashi sighed, closing his eye. He opened it again when he felt Manami-sama's now familiar fingers entwine with his own. "_I am surprised at you, Kakashi-bo. I would no sooner accept him as a lover as I would you. My love is as eternal as the sun. None but Hideyoshi will ever experience the magnificent grandeur of my passionate embrace_."

"It's good to see your modesty is intact," Kakashi replied sardonically, not bothering to communicate in silence. "Will you please leave now? I have business to attend to, and we'll be leaving directly as well."

"_No, I am going to stay. Daichi and I have much to discuss. My will is the only one I will obey_."

Kakashi frowned at her and pulled his hand out of hers. He poked one finger against her forehead and said, "As you are so good to often remind me." He dropped his hand and stepped around her, heading back to the deck of the boat. Knowing she would not understand, he added, "If you hurt him, I will not forgive you," and closed the door behind him.

-O0O-

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Sorry it took so long. Life got in the way, but at least it's twice as long as usual.


	17. Chapter 17

Heart of the Scarecrow

Chapter 17

Author's note: For those unfamiliar with Japanese, I'll give you a small vocabulary for this chapter. Tōsan: Dad, Kāsan: Mom, Nēchan: big sister, Nīsan: big brother, and happuri is the face armor Yamato wears.

-O0O-

Brief recap: "It's good to see your modesty is intact," Kakashi replied sardonically, not bothering to communicate in silence. "Will you please leave now? I have business to attend to, and we'll be leaving directly as well."

"_No, I am going to stay. Daichi and I have much to discuss. My will is the only one I will obey_."

Kakashi frowned at her and pulled his hand out of hers. He poked one finger against her forehead and said, "As you are so good to often remind me." He dropped his hand and stepped around her, heading back to the deck of the boat. Knowing she would not understand, he added, "If you hurt him, I will not forgive you," and closed the door behind him.

-O0O-

Yamato was a mixture of confusion and curiosity. Kakashi-senpai had explained to him about this Manami-sama creature, apologizing for her appearance and behavior and explaining why she was now in their village—or supposed to be. They stood at the railing at the bow of the ship while she stood a few meters away, looking at him openly without embarrassment or regret. She was a very disconcerting woman, but at least she was now dressed in a kimono. A very well-fitting kimono. Yamato tried to not look at her at all.

"And she wants to speak with me? Why?" he asked at last, not understanding why a total stranger would be so determined to speak with him of all people.

"I'm not sure," Kakashi-senpai said. He ran his hand through his pale, windblown locks and sighed. "She has a curiosity about me and my past, and since she's a mind reader, she's seen a bit about you." The older man smiled faintly and shrugged. "We've been friends a long time, yeah? I just… she knows things, Tenzō. She sees into your past. I didn't want her to… stir up things for you. The past—your past—is, well, I know how hard it was. I was there." Senpai paused and locked eyes with him, and Yamato was taken aback at how sad that one, dark eye could be. "And not there. I've never forgiven myself for that, could never bring myself to ask you to forgive me. I would have preferred—"

"Stop it," Yamato said flatly. He stepped closer to Senpai and frowned deeply, lowering his voice so only he could hear his words. "Your whole life, you take on responsibility for things that you had no control over. I've watched you beat yourself up every day over Obito and Rin. If I'd known you were doing the same thing over what happened to me with Orochimaru, I'd have punched you long ago."

Kakashi-senpai said nothing, just lowered his head.

Yamato shook his head and turned to look out over the water, wrapping his hands around the wooden railing. There were things that he'd needed to say to Senpai for a long time, and it seemed like this was finally going to be the moment he did it. He took a deep breath and said, "I don't blame you for that. You took us to an orphanage where you thought we'd be safe, and if you hadn't checked on us, hadn't followed up as no other shinobi would've bothered, then no one would have known we were missing. No one would have looked for us, no one even cared. No one ever does about orphans, which is why we were taken. But _you_ did. You're a great man, have always been. I've always wanted to be like you. Wanted to witness how greater still you would become. You are… my most important person. My family. The older brother I wanted to emulate. All I've done, everything I've done at the Academy and ANBU and as a shinobi of the Leaf, being entrusted with your students, has been to make you proud."

Kakashi-senpai reached over and ruffled his shaggy, brown hair. "I _am_ proud. I've always been proud. I named you Tenzō, didn't I? 'Heavenly creation,' since you were above human, surely the work of the gods or nature herself."

Brown brows furrowed. "I thought you did it to tease me, since being modified to have my Wood Release—"

"I would never tease you about what happened to you," Kakashi-senpai said, almost angrily. "I named you because… you couldn't keep your old name. I didn't even know I _knew_ your old name until Manami-sama reminded me. It was my way of hiding you. Don't you remember anything from that time?"

"Remember?" Yamato asked. "I guess so. You gave me a name, got me out of the cage, took me home and cleaned me up, got me a place next to yours, and enrolled me in the Academy."

"But do you remember why all of that happened to begin with?" Kakashi-senpai asked. "Do you remember where you came from, what happened with your mother and Aimi and… the monks?"

"Mother? Monks?" Yamato frowned at him. "Aimi was a girl who took care of me at the orphanage until Orochimaru took us. Until she died, she took care of me still while we were caged like animals. She was the last one, I think. He took her from the cage and she never came back. Soon after that, you rescued me and told me she'd died. Did you… did you know my mother?"

Kakashi-senpai stared at him. "You honestly don't remember?"

Yamato was nervous now. What was he supposed to have remembered? The way Senpai looked at him, it was clearly important, but Yamato had no idea what he was talking about. All he could do was shake his head.

"I see," Kakashi-senpai said. He glanced at the woman standing behind them, then put his hands atop both of Yamato's shoulders and said solemnly, "Then I think it's necessary for you to speak with Manami-sama. I shouldn't have been so… protective of you. You're a good man, a strong shinobi. One that… I would be proud to call my brother," he added with a genuine smile.

-O0O-

Yamato had felt much better after his talk with Kakashi-senpai. Part of him was slightly giddy and tempted to call him Kakashi-nīsan, but that would just be too weird after all these years. It was enough to know that the older man had such regard for him, that he trusted him as much as Yamato did him.

He was confused about Kakashi-senpai's explanation of his name, however. He had not been given it until after Orochimaru had experimented on him and gave him his new ability, and Kakashi-senpai had made it clear while still in the cage that it was his new name and he was never to utter whatever name he'd carried before. He hadn't known what Yamato was capable of doing at the time, now that he thought about it, so the name made no sense. He had just been an orphan. A lost, lonely orphan who could barely dress himself properly or hold chopsticks. There hadn't been anything special about him, certainly nothing worth calling him a 'heavenly creation.' If it hadn't been for his friend Aimi keeping him warm at night and sharing what little food they got, he would have died in that cage or on the experimentation table as she had.

Now, as he sat in the meeting room waiting for Manami (he had trouble with the –sama part, as she was no deity of his), he wondered what Kakashi-senpai thought he needed to know, what it was that only she could tell him. It was disconcerting that Senpai knew more about him than he himself did, but even more so that a total stranger would know even more. As he understood it, she knew nothing more than Senpai remembered, but within Yamato's own mind he had all the answers to his past. That was a difficult thing to acknowledge, that somewhere within his own mind, he already had all his answers.

Kakashi-senpai and Manami entered holding hands. Senpai had explained that was how they were able to talk, so he had prepared himself for the event of having to hold hands with her. He was embarrassed of his body's reaction to her, and he was determined to be a neutral, non-sexual creature this time around. He stood to show respect, but nothing more.

"I won't be staying," Senpai said, gesturing for Manami to step closer to Yamato. "This is something that is for you, Tenzō, and the best way for me to not interfere is to just be up on deck with the others." He paused and gave him a pat on the back. "Good luck."

"R-right. Thanks." Yamato was wary of the idea that he would need any 'luck' to do whatever it was they were about to do. She was just supposed to help him remember things he'd long forgotten. How bad could it be?

Once the door closed behind Senpai, Yamato took a deep breath and outstretched his hand to the woman. He gave her the best smile he could muster. "Ready?"

She took his hand, twining his fingers with her own. At first, nothing appeared in his head, she just looked up at him, her facial expressions changing slightly every once in a while. It was incredibly awkward to just stand there while someone did that, looking at him with blue eyes that lacked an iris, but were irrefutably beautiful.

Manami took his other hand suddenly. "_I see. Let me show you_."

Before he could reply, he felt a strange sensation in his both of his arms, starting at his fingertips and bubbling up to his shoulders. His Wood Release was activated, turning his limbs to wood, and Manami slid her hands through him. He could feel the warmth of her touch all the way up to his neck where her hands suddenly appeared, her fingers resting against his now-rapid pulse. It was the strangest sensation he'd ever known, but not unpleasant. The rest of him slowly turned to wood, against his will, and she stepped completely into him, her small frame disappearing inside of him out of sight. It was the freakiest thing he'd ever experienced, yet at the same time… intimate.

"_Does this frighten you, Daichi-bo_?"

"A… a little. It's very peculiar."

"_I have never been able to do this with a human. But you are like the earth and trees, so easy to move through_."

Yamato didn't know if that was some kind of compliment or not, so before he decided how to answer her, she was already stepping back out of him. She had managed to turn herself around in him somehow, and it was very bizarre to see a head of pale hair slide out of his broad chest.

"_Now, you try. I will become bigger to accommodate you_."

"Pardon?" Yamato almost squeaked out, his fingers tightening on hers as they grew bigger. "It's not… not necessary, is it?"

"_Few things are. Come_."

"I don't know if this is such—"

"_Come!_"

She was the same height as him, but he was certain he would not entirely fit within her more slender frame. Yamato was nervous to try, but she seemed intent on him doing so, and perhaps there was some lesson in this that he just couldn't perceive yet.

He stepped forward, moving within millimeters of her beautiful face and paused, his eyes half-open since it was hard to keep them fully open and be so close to a woman. He tilted his head as if to kiss her, eyes closed. Yamato couldn't bring himself to just push his face through her at the nose tip. His mouth slid into hers, and inch-by-inch, the rest of his body followed slowly.

Though it didn't seem possible, he was soon completely within her. Yamato opened his eyes hesitantly, and it was completely different from being within the trees and walls that he so frequented. There was a glorious, warm light within her that calmed his nerves entirely. It was like floating in Heaven without a care or worry in the world.

"_Can you feel our hearts beat_?"

Yamato concentrated briefly. "_Yes! They are… in rhythm_." He also noted they were not communicating with speech but with their thoughts now. Though she had been all along, he hadn't the nerve try it.

"_You are in rhythm with the world, Daichi-bo. Your heart beats as our hearts beat. Kakashi-bo named you well, Heavenly Creation-kun. We are kin, you and I. That we are able to do this is indisputable proof_."

He didn't know if he wished that were true or not, but it _was_ disputable. Orochimaru engineered Yamato to be as he was.

No sooner had he had the thought, Manami said, "_No, you don't understand anything. You will, though. Now, leave me and return to the human world_."

Yamato didn't know what she meant by that, but he willed himself to exit as he always did, never really understanding his power, but always able to wield it without questioning it too much. A blush reached his cheeks instantly when, as he pulled himself out of her, he found he was atop Manami, his withdrawn arms holding him up over her smiling face. He quickly backed away from her entirely, moving to a few feet away on the floor.

He didn't know what to think of her. She was magnificent and frightening, created such reactions from him that he'd never known, gave him sensations that were unreal and addictive. He wanted more. She flaunted herself, teased him with her beauty and perfection. She was cruel, he decided. But he also didn't care. When she patted the floor beside her with her slender hand, he obeyed, stretching out beside her to look up at the ceiling. Her hand caressed his and he took it into his own, curling his fingers over hers. Yamato closed his eyes, somehow content in a way he'd never been before.

-O0O-

"_Where are we_?"

"_The beginning. Every story has a beginning, Tenzō-kun_."

She had taken to calling him that since their… coalescing. He had no other word for it. At first, they had lay on the floor and just talked. He told her what he remembered about his life, how it was to be an ANBU member, what it was like living in the village. Soon, she asked him to trust her and to relax as she searched his memories.

Yamato had no control over what they were seeing, as Manami was having him relive through memory moments in his past. Whatever they saw now was precisely what he saw the first time around, with no ability to look at different things than he did before. What they saw was a wooden ceiling.

A man's face suddenly appeared over him, smiling broadly. "There's my little Daichi! Did you have a nice nap?"

Large hands reached out to him, and Yamato was suddenly in the air, then settled against the man's chest. It was surreal, but he was certain this was when he was an infant, judging by their size difference.

The man had long, brown hair, and Yamato's chubby fingers reached out to play with the strands he could reach. He was a handsome man with blue eyes, and Yamato assumed he was his father. But if that were the case, he was older than he'd expected.

"Takuma, you'll go bald if you keep letting him do that," a woman's voice said.

"Hush, Etsuko. I can always grow more," the man replied with a smile.

"It's… a pity we cannot share him with our families."

Yamato was abruptly spun around. He could now see the woman. She was beautiful, but also older than he'd expected. She had long, black hair and dark eyes.

"You know we cannot. He would never be accepted," the man said. "Besides, we've been gone so long."

"Yes, and your father… he's long dead," she argued. "We can go back now. Surely, no one—"

"Is life here with me so bad?" Yamato was placed on the floor, and he began crawling around. Yet the older one could hear what his parents were saying. "We left to be together, and it took so long to have a child. We thought we were cursed, but no longer. Here is our beautiful son! Please, don't ask me to tempt fate. Don't ask for even more from our life. Be content."

From the floor, he looked up at the pair of them. His father held his mother, and Yamato could see he was a man of great stature. Either that, or his mother was very short. They were dressed modestly, neither poor nor rich, and their home seemed modest as well.

Abruptly, they were outside at dusk. He was standing, looking at a mound of earth and a headstone. He turned to look up at the person next to him, and it was his mother. Judging from their height differences, Yamato could tell he was still very young, perhaps two.

"Tōsan?" he heard his tiny voice ask.

"No, he's not coming back, little one." His mother bent to pick him up. He could see her tears, and Yamato's younger self leaned his head against her shoulder and clutched her haori with his tiny fist.

Suddenly, moments began to flash past him. Smiling images of his mother, helping with chores, and for some reason he couldn't understand, he was being trained with weapons. Yamato had no memory of any of this. It was like peeking into a stranger's life.

It slowed to a steady pace once again. He stood in the doorway, his mother in front of him, heading out. "But why, Kāsan? I like it here."

His mother turned around and ruffled his hair. "I know you do, little one. But it's time we went home to our village. There is more to the world than this isolated home. I want to show it to you. Now be a good boy for Hana-san. I'll be back in a few days."

Darkness. The remnants of a fire smoldered in the hearth. A door opened, letting the moonlight in across the floor. The shadow of his mother filled it, followed by another shadow. A lantern was lit, and Yamato could see Aimi standing behind his mother, looking young enough to be her daughter.

He scrambled out of bed to greet his mother, running towards her.

Then it all happened so fast. His mother drew a blade from her sash and went to slash at him, but he ducked and rolled away. She lunged at him, and Aimi was at her back, pulling her away. The two women began screaming at each other.

"What are you doing, Nēchan?" Aimi asked frantically.

"He's an abomination! Tōsan curses the day he was born. The world is his enemy. He will only bring suffering!" his mother screeched as she fought to free herself from Aimi's grasp. "He wasn't meant to be! What we created was a sin against our families. He must be destroyed."

"Nēchan, you're talking crazy!" Aimi replied helplessly, doing her best to pull her sister back out the door.

Yamato was dumbstruck by it all. Aimi was his aunt? His own mother tried to kill him? She had seemed so doting and kind to him, it didn't make any sense. What happened to bring about this change in her? She had returned to her home village and came back to him with the intent to kill him? What happened to showing him the world?

His mother broke free of Aimi's grasp and headed towards him again. He fumbled and fell backwards, his eyes on the ceiling. Her face abruptly filled up his view and he closed his eyes, knowing what was about to come. After a moment, he opened them again. Yamato was horrorstruck. His mother had a spike of wood pierced through her neck, her lifeless eyes were wide as blood dribbled out of her mouth onto his shirt. Yamato's gaze dropped down to his own chest, and saw the wood that protruded from his body.

He tried to wake up, but it wasn't a dream. Yamato was begging Manami to remove them from the memory while his younger self was screaming frantically, his high pitched squealing and panting reverberating in the room as he sought to dislodge his mother's body from his own. Aimi grabbed him roughly, her face stern as she pulled them apart. He lay on the floor, staring at his mother's corpse while Aimi busied herself in the house. Without a word, she grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door. She carried a bag as she led him into the forest.

"_No more_," Yamato begged again. "_I don't want to know any more_."

"_Are you a coward? Do you fear yourself? What a disappointment you are, Tenzō-kun_."

Yamato was afraid of the truth, she was right. He had killed his own mother? And how did he already have Wood Release? Had he already known that? Had his parents? Who were they? Why had they run away from home? What village did they come from? What country? He had so many questions, far more than he'd ever had before.

"_Are you giving up_?" Manami asked.

He hesitated, then said, "_No. Please continue_."

They were in the forest, running through brush and long grass. He heard himself ask, "Who are you? Where are you taking me?"

"Uchiha Aimi," she replied. "I'm your mother's little sister, therefore your aunt. But never call me that. I am only Aimi, understand? You are not my nephew. We are not family."

Yamato felt himself suck in a harsh breath. Uchiha? No, impossible. His mother was an Uchiha? He was actually from the Leaf? Then who was his father? He'd seen the tall brunette man with blue eyes, and there was no way he was an Uchiha as well.

A yellow haze in the night sky caught his younger self's eyes and he asked, "What's going on?"

Aimi did not turn around. She just pulled him deeper into the forest. "Your enemies are burning your home. We're running for our lives, little one. If they catch you, you will die or wish you were dead, understand?"

His younger self said nothing at first. He let himself be dragged further along in the forest before he asked, "Where are we going?"

"Away. That's all we can do for now."

"Why did Kāsan do that?"

"My guess is genjutsu by Tōsan. It's not your mother's fault. Forgive her and move on. No more questions now. Just hurry."

The memories flash-forwarded again. The sun rose, and still they ran. Darkness came, and they rested. Small lanterns appeared in the distance. Monks were traveling a path in the woods. Aimi approached them, and they led them to their temple for food and rest.

The next morning, Aimi sat him down with the bag she had taken from the house. She withdrew various items that meant nothing to him, then pulled out a happuri with a strange symbol engraved on it. "Do you know what this is?"

"It was Tōsan's. It's for the face."

"Before that, it was your grandfather's. See this?" She pointed to the symbol engraved on the top. "This is your father's clan. Your grandfather and my father forbid my sister and your father to marry, but they did anyway, running away from the village. They are traitors. They can never go back—_could_ never go back. Now, neither can we. They'll be looking for us. Especially you. We need to get further away, perhaps tomorrow after we've rested."

Yamato recognized the happuri. It was the very same one he wore every day. He'd kept it in his shirt as a child in the orphanage and even while in the cage. It didn't come out until Kakashi-senpai secured a residence next to his own, and then it had gone into a drawer until he graduated the Academy. At that time, he took his Leaf insignia and secured it over the symbol that had been etched into it. He hadn't known the symbol at the time, and had no attachment to it. Now, older and wiser in years, he recognized it immediately. It was the symbol of the Senju clan. He was a child of Senju and Uchiha parents. The only one in existence, to his knowledge. The bad blood between the two clans had still not vanished when Itachi-kun had killed what was left of the Uchiha clan. All but one, that is. And the Leaf was the village that had fashioned his parents traitors… he had come home without even knowing it.

It all made sense now. He had the First's ability, and had come to believe it was from the experiments of Orochimaru. But the truth was, he'd had it all along, and because of this, he'd been able to survive the injections of Hashirama-sama's DNA when no others could. He had Wood Release already, and the most logical conclusion was that the happuri he wore with the Senju clan etched into had come from none other than Tobirama-sama. He was nephew to the First, grandson to the Second, and a surviving member of the Uchiha clan.

It was a hell of a lot to take in.

Dusk had come. They were outside with other orphans. Aimi was talking to a boy of about eight or nine. A monk collapsed at the front entrance, and soon there was great commotion as monks and children scattered at the arrival of men with weapons. Aimi led him and the other boy towards one of the buildings, but they were intercepted by a man with a tantō.

"Is that him?" the man asked Aimi.

She shook her head. "He's not here, Oba-san."

Yamato recognized the headband of Iwagakure, but the man clearly knew Aimi and she knew him. Were they in disguise?

"You're not lying to me, are you?" the man said. "He looks the right age. Come here, boy."

His younger self shook his head and backed away. The man lunged at him, and he again involuntarily pierced the man with a spike of wood. He cried out, furious, ripping the tantō from the man's limp grasp, and sliced the wood from his own chest. He turned to face two others who were fast approaching. One threw a few kunai at him and one struck him in the remnant of the wooden spike in his torso. He yanked it out and returned the act, the kunai sliding into the man's eye socket. His younger self then jumped onto the collapsed body and launched himself at the other man, slicing his throat open with the tantō.

The temple was on fire. His younger self turned back to his companions and saw Aimi kneeling on the ground holding the boy she'd been talking to. He had three kunai in his chest. She was sobbing as she pulled them out, calling his name—Isamu. He turned around at the approach of another man. This one seemed unwilling to attack, but called for help from his comrades. From the shadows appeared an ivory-haired boy.

"_Kakashi-senpai_?" Yamato said in surprise. He didn't remember Senpai being there, but he remembered very little of anything before the orphanage. He remembered… walking. Arriving at the orphanage. Before that—a total blank.

Kakashi-senpai held up his empty hands in a sign of compliance. "We're here to help y—"

His younger self charged at him, but Senpai ducked and turned to meet him. His younger self simply sprung off his shoulder and dove towards a man in the shadows behind Kakashi-senpai. With a vicious swing, he slashed the man from collarbone to navel, his bare feet sloshing in the gushing blood as he landed on the man's chest when he fell backwards. With a cry of rage, he lifted the tantō over his head and jammed it into the man's head.

Yamato was shocked at the violence he'd been capable of at so young. He'd been proud of himself to become a chūnin at age six, just like Senpai, but clearly he'd had experience with fighting and killing long before that. Was this what Senpai meant when he said Yamato was the work of the gods or nature herself? A natural born killer, it seemed. Hardly flattering.

More memories were returned to him; a strange conversation with Senpai that he had no recollection of having, the journey to the orphanage, Senpai visiting him and Aimi several times over the course of a few months, Aimi reminding him again and again to never speak his name and talking of leaving the orphanage before they were found by his enemies, being taken in the middle of the night by Orochimaru, crying as Aimi was dragged out of the cage, taken from him forever.

Yamato was at a loss. While he now knew the truth of everything, he didn't understand how he could have forgotten things that were so important. He'd heard trauma or stress could induce such things, and perhaps that's all it was. Aimi had been no help in that regard, feeding him lies to tell others that he eventually believed himself. She had simply called him 'boy' as Senpai always had until he gave him a proper name. Yet he was Senju Daichi. It was the first time he had a family name, but he didn't know if he wanted it. Yamato was half-certain he'd keep this all to himself. He was now proud to be Tenzō for Kakashi-senpai and Yamato for everyone else.

As for his 'enemies,' he didn't know what to think. Aimi had known the men who had come, and Yamato was almost certain they had been Leaf shinobi in disguise. Were they still his enemies, or was it a left-over grudge now vanished with the annihilation of the Uchiha clan? Had Senpai recognized them as he buried them? Had he known all along who Yamato really was? Learning the truth of his origin only created more questions.

"_He didn't know_."

Manami's voice in his head stirred him from his thoughts. "_Know… what_?"

"_The answer to your question: Kakashi-bo didn't know. He knew you were an odd child, he said. That you were, 'incredibly talented, intelligent, and capable of compassion and patience. But had a darkness in you as well.' He was referring to your ability to kill, I think. It wasn't the same conviction as his when he brings death to others. You frightened him, but he protected you anyway. That is his way_."

The memories had faded to blackness as they spoke and Yamato opened his eyes at last, then sat up. He did not release her hand so he could continue to communicate, even though she remained as she was, lying on the floor with her eyes closed. Like a sleeping princess, really.

"_Stop it, Tenzō-kun. You flatter me_," she said playfully. Manami opened her eyes. "_How are you? Was it too much for you_?"

"_Yes and no_," Yamato said, dragging his happuri from his head and looking at it. He reflected on his day so far; the appearance of 'Aimi,' hitting Kakashi-senpai, the talk they finally had, his time with Manami, and now all of these memories that were returned to him—he'd had a full day. Definitely the most eventful of his life. But now, what to do with it? Anything? He saw no reason to share it with anyone. His parents, Orochimaru, Aimi… all were dead. This changed nothing.

-O0O-

Author's Note: Okay, yes. Another Uchiha. BUT IT'S NOT THE IMPORTANT PART. I wanted Yamato to be related to Tobirama since he was a wood style user and Tobirama was Hashirama's brother who also always wore a happuri. But I needed to figure out how Yamato became an orphan, a reason why his father wouldn't be spoken of or become Hokage after Tobirama, so I made him an outcast. The best way to be an outcast is to fall in love with an Uchiha if you're the son of the Uchiha-hating Tobirama, so that's all it was. Yamato will not develop any Uchiha traits. I just made his parents be the Romeo and Juliet of Leaf Village, that's all. I actually considered writing their story, but I decided against it for now.


End file.
